Prioritizing Environmental Issues around the World: Opinions from an International Central and Eastern European Environmental Health Conference

Abstract

BackgroundAs the next generation of scientists enters the field of environmental health, it is imperative that they view their contributions in the context of global environmental stewardship. In this commentary, a group of international graduate students facilitated by three experienced environmental health scientists present their views on what they consider to be the global environmental health concerns of today. This group convened initially in October 2004 at an international health conference in Prague, Czech Republic.ObjectivesIn this report we identify perceived environmental health concerns that exist around the world, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, we address these perceived problems and offers some potential solutions.DiscussionAt the meeting, students were invited to participate in two panel discussions. One group of young international scientists identified several significant global environmental health concerns, including air pollution, occupational hazards, and risk factors that may exacerbate current environmental health issues. The second panel determined that communication, education, and regulation were the mechanisms for addressing current environmental challenges.ConclusionsIn this commentary we expand on the views presented at the meeting and represent the concerns of young investigators from nine different countries. We provide ideas about and support the exchange of information between developed and developing countries on how to handle the environmental health challenges that face the world today.

Blood screening for heavy metals and organic pollutants in cancer patients exposed to toxic waste in southern Italy: A pilot study

“…Toxic environmental agents, to which anyone is involuntarily exposed, represent nonnegligible oncogenic risk factors and, therefore, the environmental contamination has become a theme of primary importance worldwide (Craft et al, ). However, to date, mainly owing to insufficient information about the levels and types of patients' exposure, the precise role of toxic agents in the genesis of tumors and the determination of the fraction of overall cancers attributable to pollution remain debated issues.…”

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the aquatic environment: implications for the drinking water industry and global environmental health

“…But it would not be pragmatic to ignore the long-term risks. Each society perceives and manages risks according to its own values and priorities (Craft et al 2006). Therefore, the technologies to handle emerging contaminants such as EDCs and PPCPs will fail if passed to the developing countries without building the capacity to identify and perceive the ill-effects of EDCs.…”

“…Thus people in developing countries are often at higher risk of exposure to toxicants leading to adverse health effects (Craft et al 2006).…”

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program: a model for multidisciplinary training of the next generation of environmental health scientists

“…Trainees have also had many chances to present their research to international colleagues through SRP-supported conferences (e.g., through the R13 grant mechanism). These include: The Central and Eastern European Conference on Health and the Environment in Prague (16, 17)The Halifax Project, held in 2013 in Halifax, Novia Scotia, where 174 scientists from 26 countries and many disciplines met to discuss the possible role of low-dose chemical mixtures in activating changes in pathways that may lead to cancer (18)The Princess Chulabhorn International Science Congress, held every 4 to 5 years in Thailand to exchange information and advances in selected topics in science and technologyThe International Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Workshop, now in its tenth year, which provides an exchange of ideas and information on analysis, transport, exposure assessment, metabolism, toxicity, and public health policy surrounding PCBs (19)The Products of Incomplete Combustion (PIC) congress meeting, held every two years to provide an international forum to discuss topics on the origins, fate, and health effects of combustion by-products (20)The Pacific Basin Consortium meeting, which brings together individual researchers and engineers, as well as organizations with diverse professional expertise, to discuss the most pressing environmental and health issues of our time, engage in cooperative research, and develop and disseminate innovative strategies for addressing these issues (21). …”