The Section of Developmental and Environmental Toxicology focusses on environmental toxicology and toxicology of drugs of abuse. Humans and animal populations are increasingly exposed to chemicals in their environment throughout lifetime, during reproduction and ontogeny. We try to identify consequences of low-dose exposure during reproduction and ontogeny, and to understand how environmental chemicals interact with developmental processes. Drugs of abuse represent another threat to ontogenetic processes in the human population, in particular widely used substances such as alcohol and nicotine. Drugs and environmental chemicals differ in the sense that drug consumption is voluntary and limited to individuals, while exposure to environmental chemicals is passive and general, involving humans as well as animal species.
Rational actions require competent information.
In order to contribute to the information of the public on environmental toxicology, we have started a book series on this topic which is based on guest seminars.