ASSESSING THE EXPOSOME
At the moment, external exposure assessment technology provides, at best, snapshots of single exposures. These snapshots are obtained by models or measurements and have limited resolution in time and space. Additionally, data is often not available at individual level. Clearly, better insights are needed into when, where, why (source, activity) and to which combinations of environmental factors people are exposed. As is the case with the assessment of the external exposome, the assessment of the internal exposome is currently performed at defined “static” moments in time. In many cases, this requires the invasive collection of biomaterials (such as blood tests). Other approaches are needed to enable faster, real-time, less invasive read outs of omics and biomonitoring data.
INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES
Within the Applied Exposome Programme it is our aim to develop innovative exposure measurement techniques, e.g. low cost, wearable, direct reading and/or non-invasive technologies. We are developing, optimising (including validation and calibration) and adapting sensor and other measurement techniques for measuring external exposure levels and internal markers.
EXAMPLE PROJECTS
• Point of care test for benzene: Because of its effects on people’s health, in the (petro-)chemical industry there is a strong focus on benzene in personal-monitoring programmes. Currently, most commonly used bio-monitoring methods are based on laboratory analyses of workers’ urine. These typically have a turn-around time of several weeks and can be logistically challenging in certain parts of the world. To bring the lab to the site, TNO, in partnership with SKC, is developing a “point-of-care” test for benzene metabolites in urine that can be performed on location and provide results within hours, or even minutes. These results will be much more relevant for taking direct risk-management measures and can thus prevent unnecessary (over)exposure to benzene. The oil and gas industry is providing input to this project from an end-user perspective.
• SensA - Mobile air quality sensor network: To explore a new concept of mobile air-quality sensing by large groups of people, a series of 20 sensor boxes, that could be placed on the back of a bicycle, has been developed. The data collected from people involved in two pilot studies in Dutch the city of Eindhoven has provided new insights into the use and applicability of low-cost sensors. It has also uncovered some new challenges on which we are currently working, like the fusion of sensor data and air-quality model calculations.
• Passive sampling: Capturing a wide range of exposures can be challenging. Passive sampling is a technology that has the potential to provide insight into the presence and concentrations of a wide variety of chemicals, and for measurement intervals that can vary from one day to several months. Personal passive sampling devices such as wristbands and broaches have been developed elsewhere. At TNO we are collaborating with the Utrecht Exposome Hub and the University of Toronto to explore which components can be measured with passive sampling devices and the average exposure levels that correspond with a certain concentration level detected by the device.
• Low-cost particle counters: Recent technological developments have led to the availability of relatively low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors that mainly rely on the optical counting of particles. Together with different partners (RIVM and the Haagse Hogeschool) we evaluate(d) the use of these low-cost particle sensors for assessing workers’ exposure to dust. In addition to this, TNO is working on the next-generation low-cost particle sensors that will be able to measure particulate mass directly and thus enable characterisation of particle composition.
Read more about Exposome and our programme
EXPOSOME: connecting the dots for effective prevention of disease
- Artificial Intelligence
- Application areas
- Use cases
- Program line 1: Safe autonomous systems in an open world
- Program line 2: Responsible human-machine interaction
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- Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) policies in Europe
- @MIGO: border control
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- Driving Innovation in Crisis Management with DRIVER+
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- The important of support structures
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- Vortex-wake models in wind turbine design
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- Converters for Clean, Low Cost Electricity
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- Innovative methods for wind measurements
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- Field lab floating solar
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- More focus on safety of solar systems
- Solar heat and PV-T
- Roofs for solar energy
- Noise barriers producing solar energy
- Solar energy in road surfaces and crash barriers
- Solar panel energy generated on dikes
- Solar and infrastructure
- Outdoor test facility for BIPV(T)
- Solar Highways
- Solar-powered cars
- Mass customization
- Solar panel efficiency
- New technologies make PV more versatile
- Webinar: Innovations in solar energy technologies
- Putting Europe back in the lead in solar panel production
- System transition
- The social aspects of the energy transition
- TNO facilities for research into environmental effects of solar and wind energy
- Effective interventions to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy poverty
- Green and Ease under one roof
- Capacity building programme for energy efficiency in industry
- Zooming in on the future to make the right choices
- Scenarios for a climate-neutral energy system
- A fair system without energy poverty
- Financing the energy transition
- LAUNCH
- Successful neighbourhood approach: motivate residents
- Towards a reliable, affordable and fair energy system
- Towards CO2 neutral industry
- Reducing CO2 emissions through capture, use and storage
- SEWGS: revolutionary CO2-reduction technology and blue hydrogen production
- STEPWISE and FReSMe: CO2 reduction solutions for the steel industry
- 3D-printing for CO2 capture productivity increase
- Multi-partner ALIGN-CCUS project
- CEMCAP
- Reduce emissions steel industry
- CO₂ capture with AVR
- On-site CO₂ Capture Services: reducing emissions cost effectively
- SEDMES: Efficient technology to convert CO2 to useful product
- Hydrogen for a sustainable energy supply
- Optimising production hydrogen
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- Hydrogen, fuel and feedstock
- H-vision: blue hydrogen to accelerate carbon-low industry
- 15 things you need to know about hydrogen
- World first: Green hydrogen production in the North Sea
- New research centre for hydrogen production
- Identifying the future international chain of green hydrogen
- Opportunities for green hydrogen for the manufacturing industry investigated
- Hydrogen from offshore wind: optimising the electricity grid
- Faraday lab: optimising and scaling up electrolysis
- Blue hydrogen paves the way for green hydrogen
- Biomass to fuels and feedstock
- ARBAHEAT - Sustainable future for coal-fired power stations possible through conversion to biomass
- AMBITION Advanced biofuel production from lignin rich residues
- BECOOL EU Brazilian cooperation on advanced biofuels
- Horti-BlueC - a new EU cooperation on reducing Bio-waste and CO2-footprint in horticulture
- UNRAVEL - valorization of lignocellulosic biomass
- MacroFuels advanced biofuels from seaweed
- BRISK2 Biofuel Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge
- New facility for seaweed processing
- TORWASH technology successful for waste water treatment and recycling plastics
- Biofuels lab: Making transport more sustainable with biofuels
- Take-Off: Sustainable aviation fuels from CO2, water and green energy
- HEREWEAR: Circular textiles from locally-sourced bio-based materials
- Transition to e-fuels: a strategy for HIC Rotterdam
- Re-use of existing infrastructure to accelerate the energy transition
- Sustainable Industrial Heat System
- 4 pioneering routes to a CO2 neutral industry
- Research facility Industrial Electrification accelerates greening of Rotterdam port
- Mollier facility: innovating in industrial drying technology
- Research facility for negative CO2 emissions
- Carnot lab accelerates sustainable industrial heat management
- Using energy and raw materials efficiently in industry
- e-Missi0n MOOI: TNO supports Dow and Shell in electric cracking
- CO2 reduction requires improvement of industrial processes
- Making the industrial energy transition feasible and affordable
- Sustainable subsurface
- Geological Survey of the Netherlands
- Geological Survey of the Netherlands
- 100 years of geological mapping
- GeoTOP
- Sand, gravel and clay extraction
- GIS and other tools for interactive planning
- DINO, Data and Information of the Dutch Subsurface
- BRO: the Dutch Key Register of the Subsurface
- Sustainable use and management Flemish-Dutch subsurface
- Petroleum Geological Atlas of the Southern Permian Basin
- 3D Subsurface mapping of the Dutch offshore
- Geological Survey of the Netherlands across borders
- Towards an energy-producing environment
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- Societal impact for accessibility and liveability
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- Making disruptive technologies practicable
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- CITYkeys – Performance evaluation framework for smart cities and projects
- Big data ecosystems: collaborating on data-controlled cities
- Knowledge mediator puts an end to bickering
- Intact – Climate resilient critical infrastructure
- Organising mobility
- Smart mobility and logistics
- Smart vehicles
- Smart Mobility Research Centre SMRC
- Sustainable Traffic and Transport
- Sustainable Mobility and Logistics
- Improving air quality by monitoring real-world emissions
- Emission factors for road traffic
- Measuring the emissions of powered two wheelers
- Emissions of particulate matter from diesel cars
- Random Cycle Generator
- EnViVer: model traffic flow and emissions
- Measuring real-world emissions with TNO’s Smart Emissions Measurement System (SEMS)
- Measuring the emissions of trucks and buses
- Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Commercial Road Transport
- Measuring the emissions of non-road mobile machinery
- Emission measures in practice
- The transition to CO2-neutral mobility in 2050
- Sustainable Vehicles
- Innovative technologies for zero-emission vehicles
- CO2 reduction by high-efficiency Flex Fuel technology with extremely low emissions
- Actual energy consumption and emissions
- Automotive Battery Research
- Making transport more sustainable by means of electric vehicles
- Energy Efficient Electric Bus E3Bus
- eCoMove
- How hydrogen can accelerate energy transition in the transport sector
- Green performance of ships
- Expertise groups
- Information & Communication Technology
- Roadmaps
- Fast open infrastructures
- Data sharing
- Trusted ICT
- Efficiency, effectiveness, quality and the costs of systems
- Expertise groups
- Strategic Analysis & Policy
- Expertise groups
- Strategic Business Analysis
- Strategy & Policy
- Orchestrating Innovation
- Tech Transfer
Dr. ir. Anjoeka Pronk
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