title: Poison Control Centre and environmental pollution health care and risk assessment.
abstract: In the past two decades several incidents of environmental pollution have become known in which people might have been exposed to the contaminating substances. In the Netherlands the National Poison Control Centre, a department of the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, plays a distinct role in dealing with the health problems arising from these incidencts. The health risk assessment of an environmental incident may be facilitated by utilizing a logical predetermined sequence of decision steps in order to avoid inappropriate responses which could induce many untoward effects within the population of the contaminated area. As an example of this general approach, the handling of a recent incident with mercuric chloride is described.
authors.affiliation: National Poison Control Centre, National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Doel
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Knaap
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sangster
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000633:toxicity; D009426:Netherlands; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D011634:Public Health
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008627:Mercuric Chloride