The new Danish Centre of Energy, Environment and Health (CEEH) - basic ideas and framework

Lise M. Frohn^a, Camilla Geels^a, Jørgen Brandt^a, Jesper H. Christensen^a, Kaj M. Hansen^a, Ole Hertel^a, Alexander Baklanov^b, Allan Gross^b, Alix Rasmussen^b, Kenneth Karlsson^c, Lars Henrik Nielsen^c, Eigil Kaas^d, Torben Sigsgaard^e, Jan Sørensen^f, Jytte Seested Nielsen^f, Esben Meulengracht Flachs^g, Jacob Bønløkke^g, Knud Juel^g, Henrik Brønnum-Hansen^g

 

 

^aNational Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark

^bDanish Meteorological Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark

^cRisø National laboratory, System Analysis Department, Roskilde, Denmark
^dNiels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

^eInstitute of Public Health, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

^fUniversity of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

^gNational Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark

Corresponding author: "Lise M. Frohn" <lmf@dmu.dk>

The objective of the Centre of Energy, Environment and Health (CEEH) is to provide advanced research of energy production and related environmental/health issues and thereby integrate groups from these areas. The main goals are to study the future production of energy in Denmark and consequences of different scenarios with respect to environmental and human health aspects, and to optimize the type of energy production and consumption not only with respect to direct costs related to the production, but also with respect to economy from environmental and health viewpoints.

A key element of the CEEH will be to expand, evaluate and apply integrated models for the whole impact pathways, including integrated energy system, emissions, atmospheric chemistry/transport, human exposure, human health models as well as cost models. The main research areas include:

·         Modelling and research in atmospheric transport, dispersion, chemistry and faith of pollutants due to energy production and consumption. Both primary and secondary particles as well as chemical gas-phase constituents will be considered. Knowledge of the regional and local environmental burden related to emissions of pollutants and accidental risks from power production is needed for estimation of environmental and health costs.

·         Physiological and statistical studies of the impact of atmospheric pollutants on the human body and on health in general. Based on the atmospheric burden these studies will be used to quantify the relative importance and costs of different types and amounts of emissions (as well as other types of environmental impacts).

The grant for CEEH covers a 5-year period from 2007-2011, and the basic model system to be applied in the Centre is the EVA model system (External Valuation of Air pollution) developed at NERI/AU.