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Third SYNnet workshop: Advancing synergies between PARC and the IDEAL cluster
The third SYNnet workshop on synergies brough together leading scientists from PARC and the projects within the IDEAL Cluster ↗. Organised by Nikiforos Alygizakis ↗ (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens ↗) and Sónia Namorado ↗ (National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge ↗), the engaging online session – held on 7 May 2025 – aimed to explore synergies between EU-funded initiatives focused on air quality and related health impacts.
Researchers from K-HEALTHinAIR ↗, SynAir-G ↗, TwinAIR ↗, InChildHealth ↗, INQUIRE ↗ and EDIAQI ↗ presented their main activities and achievements, identifying both common ground and complementary methodologies to support future collaborations.
The discussion also highlighted relevant PARC activities in air quality, notably the project on the development of health-based indoor air guideline values and the healthcare survey initiative assessing occupational chemical exposures in hospitals.
This workshop clearly showed the added value of connecting EU projects working on air quality and human health. By aligning our efforts, we can enhance data comparability, avoid duplication, and deliver more robust policy-relevant outcomes, highlighted Nikiforos Alygizakis.
Potential collaborations were found, including:
- synergies between the PARC project on human exposure to organic contaminants from non-food environmental sources and InChildHealth on school exposure studies,
- coordination with INQUIRE for joint chemical and biological assessment frameworks,
- exchange of protocols and guidelines between IDEAL cluster projects and PARC partners.
Bringing together the IDEAL Cluster and PARC allowed us to identify concrete opportunities for collaboration. These synergies will strengthen our scientific approaches and ultimately support better health protection across Europe, added Sónia Namorado.
This workshop reaffirmed the importance of cross-project collaboration in addressing the complex relationship between indoor environments and health. It also paved the way for deeper integration of chemical safety assessments across research and policy initiatives.