Abstract: Introduction: A first version of a European Job-exposure matrix (EuroJEM) for chemicals and particles has been developed within the EU Exposome Project for Health and Occupational Research (EPHOR). The aim was to develop an improved tool for exposure assessment suitable for epidemiological studies on the European population. The working group includes experts on job-exposure matrices and/or occupational exposures from several European countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, France, and Spain. Material and Methods: The first version, EuroJEM1.0, includes four agents; Respiratory Crystalline Silica Dust (RCS), Nickel, Wood dust and Diesel Engine Exhaust (measured as Elemental Carbon, EC).The agents were chosen based on suggestions from occupational hygienist and epidemiologists within the project, considering availability of high-quality exposure data and research priorities within the EPHOR project. Data of interest were obtained from JEM-holders, and when necessary, occupational codes were translated into the International Standard Classification of Occupations, ISCO-88(COM). Experts from the working group independently assigned EuroJEM values from three to five JEMs for each agent. Consensus was reached during meetings. In the first step, the prevalence of exposed subjects in each occupation was assessed for each specific agent, including regional and temporal differences. In the second step occupations will be assigned with an exposure level from quantitative ?state of the art? JEMs available. The work on this part is ongoing. The EuroJEM will be linked with the EPHOR mega cohort and will be publicly available for widespread use. Results: EuroJEM contains 31 occupations exposed to RCS, 14 to Nickel, 34 to Wood dust and 44 to Diesel Engine Exhaust, where at least 25% of the workers within the occupation are exposed. Conclusions: This is the first attempt to harmonize several European JEMs to be used in European epidemiological studies on work exposure and disease.

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