World Environmental Health Day: EU research unveils links between environmental exposures and human health

26 September is annually observed as World Environmental Health Day, raising awareness of the impact of environmental hazards on human health. 

Two EU-funded project clusters, EHEN (European Human Exposome Network) and CUSP, are at the forefront of EU research on the effects of environmental exposures on our bodies. Funded under the Horizon 2020 programme and recently concluded, the two clusters have presented their key findings, showing that protecting the environment from plastic, air and chemical pollution also means protecting our health. 

European Human Exposome Network – EHEN 

The European Human Exposome Network (EHEN) is the world’s largest network of projects studying the impact of environmental exposure on human health with an exposome angle. Finished in June 2025, EHEN’s projects include REMEDIA, ATHLETE, HEDIMED, LongITools, EPHOR, Equal-Life, EXIMIOUS, EXPANSE, HEAP. 

Among its key findings, the cluster has shown that access to urban green spaces improves immune responses, reduces risks of depression and supports children’s cognitive development. Its studies show that children are especially vulnerable, as their early exposure to air pollutants and chemical mixtures is linked to higher risks of asthma, obesity and metabolic diseases. The projects’ results also expose that endocrine-disrupting chemicals can alter child growth trajectories and increase obesity risk. 

EHEN’s innovative monitoring tools, such as wastewater analysis and wearable sensors, are paving the way for evidence-based interventions, empowering policymakers to measure the real health benefits of greener, cleaner environments. 

CUSP cluster  

CUSP is a large-scale research cluster focusing on specific aspects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), tiny particles that may enter the human body from the environment and that are found everywhere around us, and their impact on human health at every stage of life. 

Formed by 75 organisations from 21 countries working within five projects (IMPTOX, AURORA, PLASTICHEAL, PLASTICSFATE, POLYRISK), the CUSP cluster has provided the first coordinated human biomonitoring evidence that MNPs found in our bodies can have an effect on affect our health.  

The five projects involved have developed and tested common protocols, biomarkers and sampling strategies for measuring MNPs in humans, detecting plastics in several parts of the human body. Among its key findings, CUSP carried out the screening of 1100 school children which showed a link between inhaled or ingested plastics and immune and inflammatory responses. 

At the policy level, CUSP has provided new evidence and harmonised methods to measure human exposure, supporting EU efforts under the European Green Deal and Chemical Strategy for Sustainability to reduce pollution and protect citizens’ health. 

Background 

Horizon Europe is the research and innovation programme of the EU for the period 2021-2027. The aims of Cluster 1 ‘Health’ include improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. Horizon 2020 (H2020) was the EU’s multiannual funding programme between 2014 and 2020.   

Relevant links

• EHEN's final newsletter
• CUSP's final newsletter