Exposure Science Principles: Enabling Healthy Places and Spaces
On this page:
Chemical pollutants continue to be released in large quantities, are ubiquitous in humans and the environment, and have the potential to cause severe ecosystem and human health impacts. Even low-level and prevalent environmental exposures may contribute substantially to the burden of common complex disease. Understanding the relationships between environmental exposures and health outcomes requires consideration of interconnected physical, chemical, biological, and social systems. Exposure science is the study of our contact, by ingesting, breathing, or touching, with environmental agents and stressors. Sparsity of exposure information has been consistently identified by health scientists and policy makers as a barrier to addressing our most pressing public health challenges. In this presentation, six principles of exposure science that are fundamental to developing information and tools to address challenges in environmental health will be advanced. Current research to identify important sources and pathways for exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will be highlighted as an example.