ICSHNet

In Europe, earlier industrialization and poor environmental management practices have left a legacy of thousands of contaminated sites. To date, it is estimated that nearly 250.000 sites across Europe suffer potential contamination. Past and current industrial activities can cause local and diffuse contamination, to such an extent that it might threaten human health of resident populations, especially in vulnerable subgroup.

The Industrially Contaminated Sites and Health Network (ICSHNet), a COST Initiative (IS1408) that counts 33 country members, aims to develop a common European framework for research and response on environmental health issues in industrially contaminated sites, and establish a European network of experts and institutions involved in assessing the health impacts and/or managing remediation and response. The Network will clarify needs and priorities, support collection of available information, methods and data, promote shared initiatives and develop guidance and resources on risk assessment, management and communication across Europe. It will also allow a comparative reading and interpretation of existing data on health of citizens who live in contaminated sites, create the conditions for the undertaking of comparable health impact assessments of contaminated sites in Europe and beyond. The Network started its work in May 2016 (Period 2) and consists of four Working Groups:

• WG1 – Environmental and health data;
• WG2 – Methods and tools for exposure assessment;
• WG3 – Methods and tools for health risk and health impact assessment;
• WG4 – Risk management and communication

The Environmental Engineering Laboratory (EnvE-Lab) is the only Greek country member of the Network.

The ICSHNet is supported by the EU Framework Programme Horizon 2020 with a total budget of 135,999.60 Euros for the Grant Period 2 (01/05 2016 – 30/04/2017).

For more information please visit: www.icshnet.eu.