India’s First Ecotoxicology Clinic | 10 Aug 2019

Recently AIIMS, Delhi, launched a clinical ecotoxicology facility, a first-of-its-kind in India, to investigate increasing cases of diseases resulting from exposure to environmental toxins contaminating water, food and air.

• The new facility will provide diagnostic consultation as well as research services to all the clinical departments dealing with diseases due to ecotoxicity.
• What is Ecotoxicology?
  
  • It is that branch of science that deals with the nature, effects, and interactions of substances that are harmful to the environment, on ecological entities, i.e. populations, communities or ecosystems.
  • For example: Ecotoxicology will engage in knowing the origin of unknown factors of a certain rise in the number of cancer cases, even among those who don’t smoke.
• According to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, contaminated water, air and soil are responsible for about nine million early deaths.
  
  • About 92% of these deaths due to environmental toxicity occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which include India.

Source: TH