Mechanisms of Disease
IOM also addresses issues around the relative hazard of materials found in the workplace and the environment. Our focus is primarily on desk studies of the properties of materials that determine potential health effects in the lung. We have strong links with universities and other research organisations, in particular with Napier and Edinburgh Universities through the Edinburgh Lung and the Environment Research Initiative (ELEGI) and the Safety of Nanomaterials Interdiscipinary Research Centre (SnIRC – www.snirc.org), and through our collaborations we can offer a wide range of specialised expertise and facilities.
We have conducted studies on behalf of UK government departments, Health & Safety Executive (HSE), Dept. for International Development (DfID), US government agencies, US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), industrial companies, research associations, the US Health Effects Institute (HEI), and charitable organisations (COLT Foundation).
Some current and recently completed research topics include:
- Development of mathematical models of the clearance and retention of particles and fibres
- The influence of fibres and particles on cell signalling pathways in vitro
- The basis for setting exposure limits for dusts in general
- Statistical analyses of the properties of airborne mineral fibres which determine the likelihood of lung cancers
- Measurement of the solubility and persistence of fibres and other particles
- Measurement of durability and effects of organic fibres (aramid, cellulose)
- The hazard due to inhaled ash from volcanic dust on Montserrat
- The influence of particle size and surface area
- The influence of quartz content in inhaled coalmine dust
- The cellular effects of dust from the London Underground
- Statistical analysis of the properties of pollutant gases which determine health risks
- Measurement of particle and fibre size distribution and composition.
- Two of our senior researchers are members of the Editorial Board of the open access journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology (http://www.particleandfibretoxicology.com/home/).