What is TIP’s TRWP-research mandate, and does this mandate evolve?

We sponsor research where findings can contribute toward understanding the potential impacts of TRWP on human health and the environment. The focus of our work is on filling knowledge gaps about TRWP.

We established a TRWP Working Group that is mandated to ensure a scientific approach to the study of TRWP pathways.

We consider our work on TRWP a journey. We began our journey by developing a first understanding of the fundamentals of TRWP (a scientifically valid description of the particles, and hazard and exposure studies for first risk assessments) and follow a multi-year plan that is updated to ensure the prioritization of research to fill the most significant knowledge gaps.

Initial studies focused on identifying and quantifying TRWP in the environment and delivering human health and environmental risk assessments. These first studies examined toxicity and exposure relevant to the airborne environment, and soils and freshwater sediments. Our ongoing and planned research includes sampling of TRWP in the environment, studying the degradation of TRWP, modelling the fate and transport of TRWP in air, rivers, soil, and oceans, and investigating the potential impacts on organisms of long-term exposure to TRWP.

The TIP TRWP Working Group is comprised of technical experts from TIP member companies, and we have established an Assurance Group of academics who provide additional independent review (all published TIP-sponsored studies undergo academic peer review) of completed studies and make recommendations on future studies based on an understanding of new research opportunities.

We have also put in place an Advisory Panel of academic experts in the field of hydrology, marine biology, and ecotoxicity. They bring valuable big-picture thinking to the study-plan design phase.