- Science and Society
Teaching kids what endocrine disruptors are and what is at stake is the goal of the new Intersectoral Centre for Endocrine Disruptor Analysis (ICEDA), based at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). Their first initiative: a collection of children’s books entitled “The Issue of Endocrine Disruptors and the Importance of our Hormones explained to Children”.
These science popularization books aim to raise awareness among young people aged 5 to 10 years about environmental protection and the effects on environmental and human health. The first book will discuss the effect of pesticides and household waste, such as plastic, on the overall health of aquatic animals, but also on their reproduction and sexual differentiation. The chemicals presented in this book are part of the large family of endocrine disruptors. This type of product affects the functioning of hormones, resulting in malformations and diseases. The mechanisms of action of these endocrine disruptors on cells and hormones are also discussed.
In addition to teaching children and youth about the environment, this project will also improve children’s reading skills in French and English as the books will be bilingual. This book will be the first of about twenty on a multitude of topics, including hormones, environmental pollution, health and biology.
Codirected by INRS’ Professors Valérie Langlois and Isabelle Plante, ICEDA is currently leading a sociofinancing campaign to carry out their project.
About ICEDA
The Intersectoral Centre for Endocrine Disruptor Analysis (ICEDA) is a research network dedicated to inform, assist and serve as a resource for academia, government authorities, non-profit organizations, the industry as well as the Canadian population, to identify, recognize, quantify and manage endocrine disruptors. ICEDA also promotes intersectoral collaborations and encourages the sharing and exchange of data and methodologies.
