The Flemish Institute for Technological Research conducts customer oriented research and develops innovative products and processes in the fields of energy, environment and materials, for both the public and the private sector. Central to all projects are protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable use of natural resources, energy and raw materials. Three main centres contribute to this work: Environmental Toxicology studies the effects of pollution and chemicals as a basis for risk assessment and develops new bio markers and bioassays for surveillance and monitoring of the quality of the environment and its impact on environmental health; Integrated Environmental Studies carries out environment oriented product development and integrated chain management, best available techniques (BAT) and cleaner production, and offers support in energy and environmental policy with respect to air, water and soil pollution and waste treatment; Environmental Measurements is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for a wide range of pollutants, a reference laboratory for air, water and soil pollution, and advises government and commercial labs on measurement methods and external quality control.

Prof. Dr Greet Schoeters is head of the environmental toxicology unit and part-time professor at the University of Antwerp and she has been involved in several international projects related to in vitro toxicology (ECVAM) and biomarker development. She is responsible for a large scale biomonitoring progra mme (2002-2006) on behalf of the Flemish Ministries of Environment and Health. She participate d in advisory committees for the Flemish and Belgian government (eg. Health effects of incinerators, Belgian Dioxin crisis committee) and for the Health council of the Netherlands , and is a member of the scientific committee of ESTIV, the European Society for toxicology in vitro, the European COST technical committee on environment, the expert panel on contaminants in the food chain from the European Food Safety Agency, the European biomonitoring working group related to the SCALE initiative and the implementation group for the EU biomonitoring pilot project. She is author of more than 60 peer reviewed papers. She participates in European networks such as PINCHE and AIRNET.

VITO will lead WP2.2 on biomonitoring and will contribute to SP4 (toolbox design). In WP2.1, VITO will be responsible for the inventory and assessment of personal monitoring data, and for feeding this experience into WP2.4 on integrated monitoring. VITO will contribute in WP4.2 with exposure models (Vlier-humaan, XtraFOOD, indoor) and their integration in the model toolbox. Involvement in WP4.3 will guarantee consistent development and validated application. It will also contribute to WP5.2 (Internal training).