Transcript Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Division of Environmental medicine
Department of Chemicals and Radiation
An overview
Kristine Bjerve Gutzkow,
Birgitte Lindeman,
Trygve Danielsen
23.06.2011
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health
(NIPH in Oslo and Bergen)
More than 1000 employees
23.06.2011
Aims of the NIPH
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Provide evidence based advice to the
government and to the public at large
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Prevention of disease through
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23.06.2011
Health surveillance
Research
Advice and services
Main areas
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Infectious disease control
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Environmental medicine
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Epidemiology of non-communicable
diseases
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Mental health
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Forensic medicine and drug abuse
research
Environmental Medicine
We provide expert knowledge of
environmental medicine:
– prevent disease and health injuries
caused by environmental toxicants
and other hazardous factors in the
environment
– perform research and surveillance
on environmental factors
– food and water safety, research on
air pollution, noise pollution. Close
collaboration with other relevant
institutes and authorities
23.06.2011
Department of Chemicals and
Radiation (MIKS)
• Experience in regulation of chemicals (at National and
European levels)
• Identification of chemicals posing threats to humans
and/or the environment
• Persistent chemicals
• Vision: No use of potentially harmful chemicals
• Classification and labelling of chemicals and products
Our research interest
• Chemical and radiation threats to fertility and offspring
We are active in research on agents and mechanisms
relevant for:
– Genotoxicity and mutagenicity
– Reprotoxicity – male fertility and offspring health
– Neurodevelopment
– Implications of the exposome – cocktail effect
Close collaboration with our Directorate for
the Environment (MDir)
Norway is not a full member of EU! However,
as an associate member we have adopted
most of EU’s regulations of chemicals
• Pesticides
• REACH
• Biocide Directive
Safe use of chemicals – public health
issues
• Population studies:
– Used to monitor possible health problems when they
have occurred
– Associations are found, but the existence of
causation is most often not known
• Experimental studies (in vivo and in vitro)
– Provide mechanistic information
– Essential for testing new substances, new products,
or new treatments (drugs)
Thank you!