In addition the proposed work develops skills in the area of assessment of disinfection by-products, exposure modelling, exposure-response relationship modelling, epidemiology of adverse birth outcomes and cancer, and risk/benefit analysis, generally relatively small areas of research interest and expertise. Further improvement is likely in communication, interpersonal and presentation skills of the researchers involved in the proposed work, particular on a European level. The work will lead to an increased movement of researchers and exposure to different ideas and methods, which are likely to lead to an improvement in employment prospects, particular for the more junior researchers on the project. The proposed workshop is likely to make a significant contribution to the improvement in skills and knowledge and dissemination of the findings to a much wider audience.

Further characterisation of the DBPs and addressing the potential adverse effects on human health may lead to an improvement of disinfection methods and reduction of disinfection by-products. Furthermore, chlorination compounds are fairly persistent and could adversely affect plants and animals, particularly when released though the sewage system into the general environment. These compounds have been found in, for example, lakes. Residual chlorine and its by-products may adversely affect biodiversity and a further reduction in the levels will preserve or even enhance the environment.

The substantive activities proposed in this project are of direct relevance to the scientific priorities of each partner, each of which has a key national role in their respective country. In most of the countries the work will compliment ongoing research in the area of disinfection by-products and adverse health outcomes (e.g. in the UK the epidemiological study funded by the Drinking Water Inspectorate and Department of Health and Haloacetic acid formation research funded by the Engineering Physical Research Council, In Finland, National Technology Agency of Finland has funded two large water projects at KTL, Finland, concerning water purification processes and disinfection methods and their effects on water quality and biofilms, in Greece the ongoing research in disinfection by-products formation funded by the Athens Water and Sewage Corporation and Municipal Companies of Water Treatment, in Spain, the study INMA (Environment and childhood) funded by the Spanish Health Ministry) and strengthen the evidence base by pooling resources and results. Pooling of databases leads to more powerful and robust studies, enhancing the evidence base. Thus the results of the project will be exploited directly by the partner countries, integrated in their respective national governmental policies. The results will also be directly usable for the EC for ongoing risk assessment of the quality of drinking water, particularly in relation to disinfection by-products, and will contribute to policymaking including EC directives on the quality of drinking water.

Innovative aspects of the work include detailed exposure assessment methods in many of the studies taking into account not only the measurement of water levels of many by-products but also water related activities/pathways such as ingestion, showering, bathing and swimming and routes (oral, skin absorption and inhalation) producing integrated exposure indices, particularly for trihalomethanes, but also other DBPs where relevant; examination of gene-environment interaction and identification of genetically susceptible groups both in the epidemiological and risk benefit studies, pooling of studies across countries to increase the power of the studies. It will provide new risk estimates for various health outcomes in Europe, include not only cancer but also reproductive outcomes in relation to DBPs in the risk/benefit study and provide a framework and methodology to compare the microbial and chemical risks, particularly DBPs. The risk/benefit study will include a range of DBPs rather than e.g. only ‘chlorinated water’ or trihalomethanes.