Establishing a communication and engagement strategy to facilitate the adoption of the adverse outcome pathways in radiation research and regulation

Abstract

Background

Studies on human health and ecological effects of ionizing radiation are rapidly evolving as innovative technologies arise and the body of scientific knowledge grows. Structuring this information could effectively support the development of decision making tools and health risk models to complement current system of radiation protection. To this end, the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) approach is being explored as a means to consolidate the most relevant research to identify causation between exposure to a chemical or non-chemical stressor and disease or adverse effect progression. This tool is particularly important for low dose and low dose rate radiation exposures because of the latency and uncertainties in the biological responses at these exposure levels. To progress this aspect, it is essential to build a community of developers, facilitators, risk assessors (in the private sector and in government), policy-makers, and regulators who understand the strengths and weaknesses of, and how to appropriately utilize AOPs for consolidating our knowledge on the impact of low dose ionizing radiation. Through co-ordination with the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) High-Level Group on Low-Dose Research (HLG-LDR) and OECD’s AOP Programme, initiatives are under way to demonstrate this approach in radiation research and regulation. Among these, a robust communications strategy and stakeholder engagement will be essential. It will help establish best practices for AOPs in institutional project development and aid in dissemination for more efficient and timely uptake and use of AOPs. In this regard, on June 1, 2021, the Radiation and Chemical (Rad/Chem) AOP Joint Topical Group was formed as part of the initiative from the NEA’s HLG-LDR. The topical group will work to develop a communication and engagement strategy to define the target audiences, establish the clear messages and identify the delivery and engagement platforms.

Conclusion

The incorporation of the best science and better decision making should motive the radiation protection community to develop, refine and use AOPs, recognizing that their incorporation into radiation health risk assessments is critical for public health and environmental protection in the 21st century.

Keywords:

• Adverse Outcome Pathway
• hazard assessment
• risk communication
• low dose radiation
• radiation protection

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Drs. Ngoc Vuong and Ruth Wilkins, (Health Canada, Canada) for critical review of the manuscript and Ms. Sarita Sanchez Cuadros (Health Canada, Canada) for assistance with the graphics. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency or of the governments of their member countries.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figure 1. A summary of key messages, tools and platforms needed to effectively communicate and engage target audience to build and use AOPs. SIT: Scholars-in-training. The figure is created with Biorender.com.

Additional information

Funding

This work is partially funded by grants from the Research Council of Norway (RCN, http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100005416,"Norges Forskningsråd)) through its Center of Excellence (CoE) funding scheme [Project No. 223268], the RCN project 268294 MixRisk and NIVAs Computational Toxicology Program, NCTP (www.niva.no/nctp).

Notes on contributors

Vinita Chauhan

Vinita Chauhan, Ph.D, is a Senior Research Scientist at the Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau of Health Canada. She is a Canadian delegate of the High-Level Group on Low Dose Research (HLG-LDR) and Extended Advisory Group on Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics (EAGMST) of the OECD. She co-chairs the HLG-LDR Rad/Chem AOP Joint Topical Group and is the co-founder of Canadian Organization of Health Effects from Radiation Exposure (COHERE) initiative.

Nobuyuki Hamada

Nobuyuki Hamada, RT, Ph.D, is a Senior Research Scientist at CRIEPI and a Visiting Professor at Hiroshima University Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine. He serves on ICRP Task Groups 102, 111 and 119, NCRP PAC 1, OECD/NEA/CRPPH/HLG-LDR/Rad/Chem AOP Joint Topical Group, IRPA Task Group on tissue reactions, and Consultation Committee on AOP development for space flight health outcomes (Canadian project).

Jacqueline Garnier-Laplace

Jacqueline Garnier-Laplace, Ph.D, a Senior Radiation Protection Specialist, is on secondment from the French Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN, FRANCE) to the Scientific Secretary of the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health, and of the NEA HLG-LDR. Previously, she headed Radiation Protection research at France’s IRSN. She served as scientific secretary of ICRP Committee 1 from 2017 to 2021, and is currently serving on Committee 4 with the same function.

Dominique Laurier

Dominique Laurier, Ph.D, is a Senior Epidemiologist, deputy director of health at the Health and Environment Division of the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN). He is Chair of Committee 1 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), French representative to UNSCEAR, and Chair of the NEA HLG-LDR.

Danielle Beaton

Danielle Beaton, Ph.D, is a Research Scientist with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. Her current research focuses on the effects of low dose radiation on biological systems.

Knut Erik Tollefsen

Knut Erik Tollefsen, Ph.D, is a Chief Scientist at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and an Adjunct professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). He is a Norwegian delegate of the HLG-LDR and OECD EAGMST, co-chairs the HLG-LDR Rad/Chem AOP Joint Topical Group, AOP coach and co-ordinates NIVA’s Computational Toxicology Program, NCTP (www.niva.no/nctp).

Paul A. Locke

Paul Locke, MPH, JD, DrPH, is an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD, USA. He is a member of the OECD High-Level Group on Low-Dose Research (HLG-LDR), and chairs its Policy-Oriented and Promotional Communication Strategy Group. He is a public health scientist and a US credentialed environmental lawyer admitted to practice before the Bars of the District of Columbia and State of New York and the Supreme Court of the United States.