Government launches air pollutant study

The government has announced a new Pounds 900,000 research programme to investigate the health effects of chemical pollutants in the environment. Proposals are being sought for the programme, which is being jointly funded by the departments of Health and the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Particular areas of interest include the human health effects of heavy metals present as environmental contaminants in air, soil or water, the better assessment of exposure to environmental chemicals and the variations in sensitivity to chemicals among population subgroups. For more information contact the Institute for Environment and Health at the University of Leicester on 0116 223 1600.