Conducting Pan-European Studies on Air Quality and Health The Superregion-Concept

1. Conducting Pan-European Studies on Air Quality and HealthThe Superregion-Concept T.A.J. Kuhlbusch Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.V. (IUTA) Duisburg P 194 APHEIS-Meeting Ispra, Italy, 6th-7th June 2006

2. Background Preparatory work Towards European Air Quality Health Effect MonitoringEURAQHEM Report to DG ENV T. Kuhlbusch, A. John, A. Hugo (IUTA e.V., Germany) A. Peters, S. von Klot, J. Cyrys, H.-E. Wichmann, (GSF, Germany) U. Quass (Müller BBM GmbH, Germany) P. Bruckmann, (LUA-NRW, Germany) P 194

3. Background Information, and ideas stemming from discussions during e.g. the COST 633 PM and Health – Conference are also included. International Workshop Similarities and Differences in Airborne Particulate Matter:Exposure and Health Effects over Europe April 3 to 5, 2006, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria P 194

4. IAM - Tool P 194

5. Background • Current Directions • Air quality is the major environmental health related issue currently • actions / measures are already on their way / are currently discussed to improve / change air quality •  Several major tasks / questions arise which can not be tackled with routine work! P 194

6. * P 194 *Source: Kuhlbusch et al., 2006, Report to DG ENV

7. Tasks • Only examples will be given!! Nothing is complete! • Health status monitoring • temporal / spatial records of public health status / hospital admission etc. (APHEIS) • always differentiate superregion and EU • Air quality monitoring • What shall be monitored where, when, and how often?- Spatial / areal representativeness- Trends? - Concentration mapping?- Indoor / outdoor?  P 194

8. Tasks • (personal) Exposure • measurement / modelling?- socio-economic influences?- genetic predeposition?- sources leading to exposure? Source mapping? • Epidemiology • concentration / exposure – reponse – functions- update of these functions? Endpoints?- multi-exposure, e.g. noise/air pollutants?- long-term / short-term effects? P 194

9. Tasks • Toxicology • Health Impact Assessment • European wide comparability! • Integrated Assessment Modelling • GIS based data acquisition and coordination P 194

10. All this covers areas from policy tools, applied research to basic research. is interdisciplinary. Some of it is of importance of the Pan-European perspective, e.g.- climate- genetic differences- socio-economic influences  A coordinated interdisciplinary approach is needed! P 194

11. EURAQHEM-Concept “more“ research based applied and basic research! Health status Health status Air quality Air quality monitoring monitoring monitoring monitoring (routine) (routine) (routine) (routine) Toxicological Toxicological research research Summary,conc. mapping modellingexposure Summary Update Update Air quality,exposure research and exposure exposure - - Air quality Super Super - - prognosis of response response research regions regions AQ - Data functions functions Epidemiologi- Health Impact Assessment cal research P 194

12. Superregions • are open platforms for applied and basic research • should cover populated polluted areas as well as nearby rural areas of similar climatic and socio-economic background • should be distributed over Europe covering e.g. the climatic, socio-economic, pollution variability over Europe P 194

13. Superregions P 194

14. Superregions • are open platforms for applied and basic research • should cover populated polluted areas as well as nearby rural areas of similar climatic and socio-economic background • should be distributed over Europe covering e.g. the climatic, socio-economic, pollution variability over Europe • should be open to other exposures as well, e.g. noise, water.. • shall be integrated into the general and long-term planning within ‘Environment and Health’ (DG ENV, Scott Brockett) P 194

15. Superregions • shall be set up for at least 7 years to allow e.g. trend studies • Shall be open to super site activity and long-term epidemilogical studies • ….. P 194

16. Financial Issues • first rough estimate for basic running costs for one superregion 2 million €/year plus set up costs • plus costs for applied and basic research per year • financing suggested to be split into three budgets basics, applied research and basic reasearch • basic funding for e.g. air quality monitoring, emission inventories, health status monitoring, data compilation(some of this partially covered by AQ-Networks, EUROSTAT, EPA…)by ????? ESFRI???, national bodies P 194

17. Financial Issues • applied research, e.g. effects of actions, trends, source contribution mappingby the corresponding DG, national bodies • basic research, e.g. long-term effects, source related effects, exposure assessment, indoor/outdoor, other PM components NP/UFP,by DG RTD and national bodies P 194

18. To do’s • This does not work by itself!Good coordination and coordination teams are necessary! • E. g. following is needed • a time line • general funding • selection criteria for superregions (group) • planning of general issues, e.g. comparability (group) • applied and basic research activities coordination and funding (several groups) e. g. policy issues, applied and basic research AQ+H, other basic and applied research • etc…….. P 194