[Research on factors determining health: role of the environment in the 21st century].
During the next few decades, actions on matters dealing with environmental pollution will have to be aimed at: 1) eliminating environmental contaminants at the source; 2) identifying biomarkers of exposure and/or adverse health effects; 3) improving our skills at assessing the probability of occurrence of adverse health effects in the community; and 4) informing the Canadian public in a responsible manner. Primary sources of pollution related to human activities should be our deep concern: utilization of energy sources, particularly fossil fuels; agricultural activities, such as deforestation and use of fertilizers and pesticides; and industrialization, responsible for the synthesis of numerous new molecules. Clinical investigators will be faced with rare disease entities characterized by low-level, long-term exposure via food, air, water and soil, and low-incidence responses (e.g. cancer, neurotoxicity, reproductive failure, immunotoxicity). Epidemiologists and toxicologists will be pressed, by the Canadian public, to answer questions regarding the probability of occurrence of health effects as a result of exposure to environmental contaminants. Collectively, as scientists, our attitudes will have to change drastically; high in the order of importance is the need to communicate with the public and to diligently inform our fellow citizens about the relationship between health and environment. In doing so, we might find allies to support our claim that health research in Canada deserves much better support.
Brodeur
J
J
Département de médecine du travail et hygiène du milieu, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Québec.
D002170:Canada; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants
Recherche sur les facteurs déterminants de la santé: rôle de l'environnement au 21e siècle.