A harmonised approach to face the environmental health challenges posed by industrial contamination: the COST Action IS1408

Introduction Past and current industrial activities have left a legacy of areas contaminated by a mix of toxic substances. Studies conducted in such areas have provided relevant pieces of evidence, however the overall health impacts remain unclear. In 2015 a COST Action on Industrially Contaminated Sites (ICS) and Health Network was launched (http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/isch/IS1408) to promote international coordination to deal with the environmental health challenges posed by ICS. Methods A variety of suitable methods and tools for characterizing impacts of ICS are being reviewed and organized to develop a reference framework based on best available evidence. A questionnaire-based survey is being developed to clarify knowledge gaps and research activities on a set of ICS of high concern in participating countries. A multi-scenario evaluating approach will be proposed accounting for local needs, heterogeneity in data and research tools availability. Results More than 100 experts from 28 Countries, WHO...