CEC/USA workshop on human genetic risks from chemical exposure
12 October 1993 - 12 October 1993
Belgium
The first joint CEC/USA workshop on risk assessment "Human genetic risks from exposure to chemicals, focusing on the feasibility of a parallelogram approach" will be held in Durham, North Carolina, on 12-15 October 1993.
The meeting is organized by the European Community's specific programme of research and technological development in the field of the environment in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The main objective of this first workshop is to identify the methodology, data requirements and the mechanistic approach needed to understand the human health impact of germ cell mutagens. The rationale for choosing this topic is that a coordinated effort to quantify the genetic risks resulting from exposure to mutagenic chemicals is urgently needed.
Chemicals qualifying for such an approach are those with considerable population exposure and which have produced genetic effects in human somatic cells. Extrapolation from this data to what can be expected in germ cells of the exposed individuals should be possible by using good dosimetry and a "parallelogram" approach (estimation of the genetic damage in human germ cells which cannot be measured directly can be obtained by using a common end point in humans and mice, e.g. genetic damage in lymphocytes).
The chemicals selected for review at the meeting are: Ethylene oxide; 1,3-Butadiene, Acrylamide, and Cyclophosphamide. It is anticipated that an important outcome from this workshop will be an evaluation of current knowledge and future research directions for the more precise assessment of human genetic risks from environmental and occupational mutagens.
For more information, please contact:
Commission of the European Communities
Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development, DG XII/D-1
Attn. C. Nolan
Environment Programme
200 rue de la Loi
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. +32-2-2961633; Fax +32-2-2963024
The meeting is organized by the European Community's specific programme of research and technological development in the field of the environment in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The main objective of this first workshop is to identify the methodology, data requirements and the mechanistic approach needed to understand the human health impact of germ cell mutagens. The rationale for choosing this topic is that a coordinated effort to quantify the genetic risks resulting from exposure to mutagenic chemicals is urgently needed.
Chemicals qualifying for such an approach are those with considerable population exposure and which have produced genetic effects in human somatic cells. Extrapolation from this data to what can be expected in germ cells of the exposed individuals should be possible by using good dosimetry and a "parallelogram" approach (estimation of the genetic damage in human germ cells which cannot be measured directly can be obtained by using a common end point in humans and mice, e.g. genetic damage in lymphocytes).
The chemicals selected for review at the meeting are: Ethylene oxide; 1,3-Butadiene, Acrylamide, and Cyclophosphamide. It is anticipated that an important outcome from this workshop will be an evaluation of current knowledge and future research directions for the more precise assessment of human genetic risks from environmental and occupational mutagens.
For more information, please contact:
Commission of the European Communities
Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development, DG XII/D-1
Attn. C. Nolan
Environment Programme
200 rue de la Loi
B-1049 Brussels
Tel. +32-2-2961633; Fax +32-2-2963024