Collaborative on Food with Arsenic and Associated Risk and Regulation



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Collaborative on Food with Arsenic and associated Risk and Regulation (C-FARR), sponsored by the Dartmouth College Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program and the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center, is working to address important issues surrounding arsenic in food. C-FARR proposes to hold an invitational workshop with the following core aims: 1. to develop a network of scientists who study the fate of arsenic in food and the resulting exposure to humans; 2. to facilitate communication between stakeholders and scientists about the important questions relevant to public health policy and regulation of arsenic in food in the U.S. and globally; 3. to provide a forum for scientists working on arsenic including biologists, environmental chemists, agricultural and health scientists, risk scientists, epidemiologists, nutritionists and pediatricias to communicate their results to other investigators and facilitate an interdisciplinary exchange of information that will accelerate relevant science; 4. to identify key questions and knowledge gaps about arsenic in food and exposure to humans via consumption of rice and other foods containing arsenic, and to facilitate the analysis of existing data to address those questions; and, 5. to produce a series of manuscripts and applicable data sets addressing key questions and knowledge gaps, which will form the foundation for publication of a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal and related translation materials to inform policy for the regulation of arsenic i food. The workshop will be designed to convene authors (researchers studying arsenic in soils and seawater, plant uptake, food exposures, and their impacts on human health), policymakers and stakeholders in a collaborative setting to: 1) hear from stakeholders and policymakers about the latest developments and needs pertaining to arsenic related policy issues; 2) work together to identify gaps in arsenic science and related policy questions that should be addressed in synthesis papers; 3) present paper outlines to the group and continue dialogue for shaping papers and questions; 4) provide opportunities for paper authors to break out in groups to work on paper outlines and content; 5) discuss stakeholder perspectives for each paper and recruit additional authors; and 6) discuss translation products, outreach and target audiences.