title: [A Parliament debate regarding a scientific study].
abstract: Publishing studies on the relationship between health and pollution provokes reactions and interest in the public opinion involved, the highest national institutions included. This commentary, aroused by a parliamentary debate, which also concerned one of our recent scientific papers published on Environmental Research about the association between congenital anomalies and maternal exposure to atmospheric pollutants in Brindisi (Apulia Region, Southern Italy), aims at contributing to reply the following questions: the type and quality of the data used in the estimates of exposure must be certified by institutional bodies? Adverse health effects in people exposed to pollutants at levels below the law limits can be excluded? Finally, we draw some remarks on measures to protect public health and on the relationship between the work of the researchers of public institutes and administrations.
authors: Istituto di scienze dell'atmosfera e del clima, Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Bologna. m.cervino@isac.cnr.it.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Cervino
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Mangia
authors: Emilio Antonio Luca
authors: EA
authors: Gianicolo
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D005260:Female; D006077:Government Agencies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health; D011643:Publishing
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants