Soil, health and environment network

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The aim of SHE-Net is to improve our estimates of human exposure to toxic organic chemicals in soil through the consumption of home grown and allotment produce and consequently improve the protection of public health. The largest area of concern in the risk assessment process for contaminated soils is the oral ingestion pathway, specifically the plant uptake of organic pollutants, where the knowledge is currently lacking. SHE-Net is a unique grouping of national and international experts in the areas of plant science, toxicology and risk assessment brought together to address these shortcomings. It will be the first time such a grouping has been assembled to address this issue. The network will be directly relevant to the work of the Environment Agency, Food Standards Agency, Health Protection Agency and local authorities when providing guidance on land affected by chemical contamination and estimating of dietary intakes when assessing implications of such land for food safety. These agencies will have a leading role in the network (also see attached letters of support). SHE-Net will produce a series of authoritative recommendations to help improve predictions of the health risks from chemical contamination of soils resulting in improved public health protection. SHE-Net therefore fits directly into the science theme 'Pollutants, pathways, pathogens and people' and specifically 'Transport and dynamics of chemicals in the environment of human health importance'.