Exposures
We are exposed constantly to different types of environments. Some of those environments are supportive of health, such as nature. Others can be detrimental to our health, such as chemical contaminants.
A term coined in 2005 by Dr. Christopher Wild to encompass the totality of what we’re exposed from conception throughout life is the “exposome.” The human exposome is seen as the complement to the human genome. This concept supports using a systems approach to health (also known as an ecological model of health) because everything in the exposome interacts with everything else, creating a complex web of factors contributing to health or to disease. Gene-environment interactions are also part of this system.1
Understanding how exposures can impact health has many components. Please know we are working to create a research summary highlighting concepts such as routes of exposure, why children aren’t little adults, critical windows of development, fetal origins of adult disease, biomonitoring and other science-based information related to exposures. In the meanwhile, you can find helpful some helpful explanations through the US Environmental Protection Agency's resources on children's exposures and toolbox for exposures.
In addition, you will find links to CHE calls, to recent news and research, and to pages on this website all related to exposures in the left sidebar on this page. The right sidebar provides the following:
- A link to any ScienceServs related to exposures, which you can join to engage in dialogue on exposures.
- A link to blog posts related to exposures.
- A list of CHE's publications on exposures.
- Recommended related reports and websites in the Dig Deeper section.
- A list of related events.
We appreciate your interest in CHE and in exposures.
CHE invites our partners to submit corrections and clarifications to this page. Please include links to research to support your submissions through the comment form on our Contact page.
* header image by Quinn Dombrowski at Creative Commons
