The air we breathe carries chemical, physical or biological contaminants that can affect our health. Linked to human activity (transport, industries, waste management, agricultural practices, heating, domestic activities) or to natural phenomena (desert sand, forest fires, volcanic eruptions), these contaminants can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. . More recently, effects on the brain and reproduction have also been highlighted.
On this subject, research is essential: it enriches the scientific knowledge necessary to assess the impact on health and support actions in favor of air quality and the improvement of public health. ANSES and ADEME, two agencies involved in air quality expertise, have decided to jointly organize a scientific symposium to present advances in this field through the research projects they fund. .
This day offers a broad overview of the most topical issues and illustrates the many facets of research generated by the issue of air pollution. Work on the characterization of the sources of pollutants and the exposure to which humans are subjected will be presented, as well as studies on the health effects and the societal impact. The question of what research can offer in terms of solutions will also be addressed with examples of the means of control put in place with the actors concerned. The results of a study funded by ADEME will also be presented, drawing up the inventory of knowledge provided by experimental studies of the sources of fine particles in France, as well as ANSES’s expert appraisal work on the effects of ambient air particles on health and the impact of road traffic.
This day of scientific meetings thus testifies to the complementarity of the work of the two agencies, which share the common goal of promoting dynamic research and a rich dialogue within the national scientific community on the issue of air quality, by opening the exchange with the various actors of society in order to put the results of research into perspective with the needs of public and private action.