MITHE-SN Background

Over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in proposed regulatory and international harmonization activities for classifying the hazardous properties of inorganic metal-containing substances. It has been the judgment of the international community (most notably the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD) and accepted by the Canadian government that Canada is well suited to provide a leadership role in these deliberations. Canada has a unique opportunity to ensure that the environmental and health hazards of metals and their compounds be identified and communicated correctly and with uniformity in the world marketplace. Without this intervention, many sectors of the Canadian economy (mining and metals; agriculture; energy) risk being unjustly penalized. Adverse economic consequences for Canadians would likely ensue, due to the emergence of a competitive disadvantage created through the development of inconsistent and confusing regulatory policies in the global marketplace.

In order to address some of the issues noted above, the Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres (CNTC) and the Mining Association of Canada (MAC) held a workshop in May 2003, in Kingston ON, to identify priorities and knowledge gaps related to risk assessment for metals in the environment, particularly as they relate to exposure of humans to metals. The thirty attendees included representatives from the academic, industrial and government sectors. The workshop had three objectives. The first of these was to identify issues critical to a particular industry sector or government mandate. Invited speakers from these different sectors were asked to identify 'pieces' of science that could substantially affect regulatory decisions, leading to the development of a conceptual framework that put the pieces of science into a coherent model of human/ecosystem interactions. Additional objectives were first to obtain commitments from stakeholders to collaborate in the new Network, and secondly to identify recommended research themes or domains, based on the model developed and the identification of critical uncertainties of importance in decision-making. Workshop participants supported the proposal to seek a five-year mandate from NSERC and collaborating partners through submission of a preliminary application to NSERC in 2003, and they affirmed their commitment to contribute to the preparation of the 'preliminary application'. Specifically noted was the need to ensure that the new proposal addressed the link between environmental contamination, exposure and adverse human health effects, as well as to ensure that the Network had clear links to policy development and application, including participation of Canada's Aboriginal communities.

Workshop participants agreed that the new network should build on the recognized accomplishments of MITE-RN (see MITE-RN 1999-2004). These successes include: developing research collaborations across disciplines; cross-training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) in environmental science and risk assessment; conducting metals eco-research that identified gaps relative to environmental criteria and environmental risk assessment; communicating current metals research to regulators, both in Canada and Europe. The fundamental difference between the new network (MITHE-SN) and MITE-RN is that the latter focused on ecological endpoints only, whereas the new Network will address the impacts of metals on human health and well-being, by characterizing routes (food, water and soil) for direct exposure to metals, as well as by following selected ecological endpoints having influence on human well-being.

The outcome of the workshop formed the basis for the MITHE-SN preliminary application and the subsequent full application which was approved. Research activities for MITHE-SN began in January 2005.

MITHE-SN Management Structure

The overall science leadership for the Network, including the responsibility for ensuring the relevance of the research to the Network partners and potential end-users, lies with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Beverley Hale.

The Network research program is divided into three inter-related themes: Aquatic Ecosystems, Soils and Plants, and Foods and Ingested Particles, plus a Risk Assessment domain which interacts with all three research themes.

The affairs of the MITHE Research Network are managed by a Board of Directors. The Board meets twice annually.

The Science Steering Committee for the Research Network meets twice per year and reports annually to the Board of Directors, describing progress towards the research goals and opportunities and recommendations for new research.

The EAP (an independent review panel) ensures that research progress and activities undergo rigorous, independent peer review. The EAP is advisory and reports to the Board. Its membership has been drawn from persons with expertise in areas related to the environmental and human impacts of metals.

The Network administration is coordinated by Dr. Leonard Ritter, who is currently the Executive Director of the Canadian Network of Toxicology Centres and the Coordinator for MITHE-SN. The Network is administered from the CNTC Head Office at the University of Guelph.