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Communiqué |
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March 11, 1999 Université de Montréal inaugurates a Chair in Toxicological Human Health Risk Analysis |
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Université de Montréal today announced the creation of a centre of excellence in the field of toxicological human health risk analysis. "The new centre will improve knowledge about the effects the environment may have on human health and train specialists in risk analysis," noted Dr. Gaétan Carrier, who holds the new Chair. Researchers in the Centre will develop tools designed to place the health standards and criteria and anti-pollution programs on a solid foundation and better evaluate them. The main financial partners in the program are Alcan Ltd., Noranda Inc., the Public Health Branch of the Montreal-Centre Regional Health and Social Services Board and the Occupational Health and Safety Research Institute of Quebec. Their contributions range from $100,000 to $500,000. Apart from these, the Public Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Quebec and the International Council on Metals and the Environment have contributed an additional $40,000. All these organizations will take part in the Centre's activities. Other contributions are expected, and an orientation structure is planned for additional partners. In short, the Centre today benefits from a total contribution of $1,015,000 $. As a physician, Gaétan Carrier believes that his patient is society as a whole. "A physician who wants to treat his patient well has to learn to listen first." As a result, it is important for the Centre to become a forum for exchanges where various social groups concerned by such issues as the toxicity of environmental pollutants, as well as companies, public health authorities, researchers and the general public, can all share information. A committee composed of representatives from various groups at the Centre will foster such exchanges. Scientific independence Dr. Gaétan Carrier has been involved in some of the highest-profile environmental issues in Quebec in the past 20 years (Saint-Basile-Le-Grand, the Des Carrière incinerator and Miron quarry, as well as fluorine, lead, pesticides used in agriculture and horticulture, electromagnetic fields, etc.). The number and varied backgrounds of the partners in this project are the best guarantee that the researchers will be able to preserve their scientific independence and freedom of action, "which is not possible when your hands are tied," he hastens to add. It is remarkable that, in a spirit of openness, all the partners agreed to help support a program which is essentially designed to improve the overall science of the toxicological risk analysis by developing methodologies that will be used by everyone concerned with the problem of risk analysis. In so doing, all of them accepted the idea that the work carried out in this context will not necessarily involve the contaminants of immediate concern to them. Current projects The centre has already begun to work on projects that will have an impact on health. They are investigating the effects of dioxins and furans, mercury in the food chain, insecticides used in agriculture and methanol used both as a heating fuel and in automobiles. Chair holder Dr. Gaétan Carrier has been a full-time professor since 1997, although he has been active in teaching and research in the Department of Occupational Medicine and Hygiene at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine since 1976. He worked in the Public Health Branch at the Montérégie Regional Health and Social Services Board from 1993 to 1997, and prior to that he set up the first Environmental Health Department as part of the Community Health Services at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital. -30-
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Questions, commentaires, critiques? Écrivez à la Direction des communications Dernière modification : 11 mars 1999 |