Cooperation agreement between UHasselt and WIV concerning the research project : HubiHIS (R-8871)

Environmental influences play a major role in the aging process and the development of diseases in later life. Worldwide, air pollution is responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths, which is 13.1% of total mortality. The cardiovascular and respiratory health effects of air pollution have already been extensively investigated. Recently, air pollution has also been classified by IARC as a possible cause of cancer. Quantifying human exposure to air pollutants is a challenging task. Ambient concentrations of air pollutants at potentially harmful levels are ubiquitous in urban areas and subject to high spatial and temporal variability. At the same time, every individual has unique activity-patterns. Epidemiological studies based on spatial temporal interpolation models or personal monitoring of air pollution are extremely valuable, nevertheless their scientific contribution can be enhanced by and integrated with the use of biomarkers. The use of biomarkers may improve the personal exposure assessment because of the close biological link with the individual. Furthermore, the analysis of biomarkers show a higher degree of individual susceptibility and help in the understanding of mechanisms of action. Biological samples and individual measures of environmental exposure will offer an added value in several domains of public health, as they allow an objective assessment for monitoring. In HuBiHIS, this will be tested out for the first time in a feasibility study to assess the health effects of air pollution exposure and surrounding greenness in Belgium using biomarkers of exposure and effect.

Keywords:Air pollution, biological ageing, biomarkers, black carbon, Health status, surrounding greenness

Disciplines:General biology, Plant biology