Biomedical research and the environment.

933 The evidence continues to grow in support of the concept that human health is linked closely to the environment in which we live and work. Scientists agree that as environmental quality deteriorates, harmful health effects are inevitable. Recognizing that the issues are challenging and complex and that we need a source for the best scientific information available to educate ourselves on envi-Scientific experts and leaders came together to consider the theme of environmental stewardship because we believe we have a major opportunity to prevent pollution in medical research and clinical laboratories and thereby protect the health of people and the environment. Anticipating a doubling in the Federal funding for medical research, and consequently an increase in energy use and in the types and volumes of waste materials (solid, chemical, medical, pathological, and radioactive) that will require management and appropriate disposal , we believe there is an urgent need to address two important questions. First, how can the environmental health and biomedical research leadership develop a program of pollution prevention and energy efficiency to prevent this enormous growth from creating serious increases in pollution that will be deleterious to the health of our patients? Second, how can such a program have spin-off uses for other scientific research areas for which increased funding also will be available? The information presented at the leadership conference emphasized sustainable development , best greening practices, and environmental stewardship in biomedical research laboratories. Many leaders in the scientific community recognize that environmental stewardship is a theme symbolizing the important effort to provide an integrated, synthesized and concerted effort to protect the health of the environment now and in the future. We recognize a need for a central organization to evaluate, promote, and oversee efforts in environmental stewardship, and an immediate place for a central database/ clearinghouse that would facilitate information transfer regarding the best laboratory practices to protect the biomedical research environment. We must begin by acknowledging that academic biomedical research has environmental impacts on our air, water, agriculture , and quality of life. The community of talented scientists has the experience, knowledge , and innovative talent to have a positive influence on environmental health at local, national, and international levels. Although biomedical researchers have not traditionally embraced environmental health regulations and safety issues and have at times encountered local environmental health and safety officers and the myriad external regulatory agencies in an adversarial context, we …