Metals in the Human Environment Strategic Network, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2010;73(2):96-100. doi: 10.1080/15287390903337068.
A 5-year strategic research network with a diverse base of industry, government, and academic partners was approved for support by National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) on January 3, 2005. This Metals in the Human Environment Strategic Network (MITHE-SN) builds on, and further extends, science knowledge developed by the NSERC-sponsored Metals in the Environment Research Network (MITE-RN, 1999-2004). In addition to the initial award, the MITHE-SN received an additional 2-year grant specifically targeted to (1) enhance training opportunities for internships with international organizations, (2) increase international networking and linkages, and (3) optimize knowledge dissemination and technology transfer. The research program is comprised of three themes and represents a cascade of effects along food webs, from the lowest trophic levels to the highest consumers. Each of the themes addresses issues related to distinguishing the magnitudes and roles of natural background and anthropogenic metal inputs in biotic exposure to metals; estimating the bioavailable fraction of metals in the exposure media, thus better quantifying the true exposure concentration; and determining the factors that influence bioavailability of metals in media, so that predictive models can be developed for use in the development of site-specific metals criteria.
一个拥有多元化工业、政府和学术合作伙伴基础的五年期战略研究网络，于 2005 年 1 月 3 日获得加拿大自然科学与工程研究理事会（NSERC）的支持。这个人类环境中的金属战略网络（MITHE-SN）是在 NSERC 资助的环境中的金属研究网络（MITE-RN，1999-2004）的基础上建立的，并进一步扩展了科学知识。除了最初的奖项外，MITHE-SN 还获得了为期两年的额外赠款，专门用于（1）增加与国际组织实习的培训机会，（2）加强国际网络联系，（3）优化知识传播和技术转让。该研究计划由三个主题组成，代表了食物链中从最低营养级到最高消费者的一系列影响。每个主题都涉及区分自然背景和人为金属输入在生物暴露于金属中的程度和作用、估计暴露介质中金属的生物可利用部分，从而更好地量化真实暴露浓度以及确定影响介质中金属生物利用度的因素，以便开发用于制定特定地点金属标准的预测模型。
