The Public Health Problem
Some of our manufacturing and other processes contaminate soil with chemicals and other by-products. To motivate people to reduce or prevent soil pollution, we need evidence linking contaminates to negative impacts on health. Evidence is also needed to develop effective policies.
The Findings
Research done by the Food and Environment Research Agency in the United Kingdom has the following key findings (copied from the Environmental Protection UK’s website):
- A review of the scientific literature supports a plausible linkage between exposure to land contamination and birth defects including congenital anomalies and low birth weight.
- There is evidence to both support and refute a link between land contamination and cancer. Overall there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate cause-and-effect.
- The greatest contributor to the uncertainty is around the toxicological effects of the contaminants, stemming from a lack of adequate data on causal effects of the chemical.
How the Findings Can be Used
Where there is ambiguity in the world, there is usually a scientist trying to make the situation more clear. These findings motivate public health experts to gather more data in pursuit of clearer answers. To be fair, another response can be to focus on the lack of findings as an indication of a lack of harm from contaminants. These tensions help explain why environmental issues can be so public and contentious.
Related Public Health Training
- Environmental health
- Environmental sciences and engineering
- Toxicology
(credit: Thinkstock.com)
