Principal Investigator
Dr. Anne Steenhout
Université Libre de Bruxelles – Group of Ecotoxicological Evaluation of Pollutants, Safety and Impacts on Humans
Ave F. D. Roosevelt, 50
B-1050 Brussels
asteen@ulb.ac.be
Description
Many chemicals are used daily in the home, in diverse end-uses such as cleaning, renovating and caring for houseplants. Product labels give advice on safe use, but there is scope to improve understanding of potential risks. One approach is to estimate likely exposure of individuals to various products, taking into account breathing, eating, drinking and skin absorption. This is complex, as it involves so many aspects of daily life.
This project aims to identify and validate relevant determinants of exposure and parameters prior to absorption. It also aims at evaluating and improving the quality of information used to estimate consumer exposure in Europe. A database of relevant material will be compiled, covering population and sociological factors, lifestyles, daily activity patterns, consumption and dietary habits, product use, housing characteristics, and age-related factors. Where key data are lacking, pilot population studies will be carried out. A user-friendly computer model will be developed for use in risk assessment.