Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products: Human Health Implications
College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, Public Lecture Series 2012
College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, Public Lecture Series 2012
The next lecture in the College of SEFS Public Lecture Series will be given by Prof Jim Heffron, Biochemistry Department, UCC, on 7th March, 2012 in Boole 4 at 8pm.
The subject of the lecture is toxic chemicals in consumer products.Many synthetic and natural chemicals are present in a wide range of consumer products, for example, perfumes, cosmetics, household cleaning agents, furniture, carpets, food containers, toys, fuels and hardware equipment. Some of these chemicals entered the food chain accidentally as in the 2008 Irish pork crisis or deliberately as happened recently with baby food manufactured in China. Some of these chemicals have toxic properties and may cause various adverse human health effects depending on the dose/amount and the duration of exposure. The new EU chemical safety assessment system REACH aims to prevent harmful chemicals being used in industry generally and to protect the consumer from harmful exposure. In this review, Professor Heffron will comment of the nature of these chemicals and their toxic potential in exposed humans, and how exposure can be reduced or prevented.
Jim Heffron has enjoyed a distinguished lecturing and research career at University College Cork. He held academic positions at Mayo Clinic and Graduate School of Medicine, USA, the Witwatersrand University Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa, and was Royal Society-Royal Irish Academy Research Fellow at University College London. His research on the human genetic disorder Malignant Hyperthermia led to discovery of the MH gene and to advances in biochemical toxicology of anaesthetics and pollutants. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Science, was elected member of Governing Body and has long established research links with the pharmaceutical industry. He was advisor and contributor to the World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines for Europe (2000), elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, member of the American Chemical Society and Chartered Scientist (UK). He graduated with a First Class BSc in Biochemistry at University College Dublin (1964) and PhD (1969). He publishes widely in Nature, Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, British Medical Journal, etc; was awarded DSc by NUI and Royal Irish Academy Silver Medal for distinguished biochemical research.
The lecture will be delivered on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 at 8pm in Boole IV Lecture Theatre. The lecture series is organised by Emeritus Professor William Reville, Public Awareness of Science Officer, SEFS and will continue until March 14th.
Full details of the lectures can be consulted by visiting website http://understandingscience.ucc.ie/Lecture2012.pdf
Admission is free, and as always, members of the public are invited to attend.
For further information please contact: Office of Media and Communications, Press Officer, University College Cork, Tel. 490 2202
March 2nd 2012