Biomarkers – concentrations of chemicals inside the body – are measured to predict exposure to contaminants in food, water, cosmetics and other. WP1 collects biological samples and questionnaires to determine exposures to a wide range of chemicals for the mothers and children participating in the study.
WP2 is responsible for the development of tools and methods to improve exposure estimates for the outdoor environment. Information is collected on the whereabouts of mothers and children, their movements and, in case of air pollution, how much air is inhaled. The popular smartphone will be developed into a personal exposure monitoring kit. Through build-in sensors, it measures physical activity, location, and air pollution.
WP3 looks into the interrelations between many different environmental contaminants. It aims to determine which factors influence a person’s exposure to a cocktail of chemicals, such as social factors, diet, where you live, and how your body metabolises the chemicals. This comprehensive assessment makes it possible to more accurately pinpoint key behaviours that may be changed to reduce their negative impact on health.
WP4 studies molecular changes in the body following exposure to mixtures of chemicals and air pollution. This is done by measuring metabolites, proteins, and epigenetic markers with new high throughput “omics” techniques. The omics data are used to identify biological pathways affected by contaminants.
HELIX focuses on foetal and child growth, obesity, neurodevelopment, and immune system-mediated outcomes: asthma, respiratory health, and infections. It collects new data in the children on these outcomes and evaluates the associations between multiple exposures and child health outcomes. WP5 is building a data warehouse that brings together all data on environmental pollutants, behaviours, diet, omics, and health outcomes, for use in future research.
Burden of disease estimates in Europe are obtained by integrating exposure data and exposure-response data. Various “holistic” models will be developed to capture observed complexity and to integrate risk and benefits. For example, encouraging children to walk or cycle to school to improve physical and mental health; at the same time, they are prone to adverse health effects due to longer duration of exposure to air pollutants, higher risks of accidents, etc. Do the overall benefits outweigh these risks and what should policy makers do to improve these conditions of active transportation?
Key to successful development and impact of the project are communication and stakeholder engagement. WP7 is responsible for establishing and maintaining a strategic framework to exploit outcomes of the project most efficiently. It also covers the promotion of training and exchanges within and outside the Consortium.
Read more: WP7 - Dissemination, Policy Involvement, Training
Coordination of the HELIX requires adequate management to ensure most efficient collaboration, sales progress and information exchange within the project. Management deals with contractual, financial and legal management, providing support to the individual beneficiaries to the project. Special attention is paid to ethical practice concerning the intensive data collection from pregnant women and children, and gender equality.
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