Structural improvement of higher education in environmental toxicology in Latin America and Europe

Industrial development has resulted in an increased release of chemicals an d other agents into the environment, resulting in damage to the environment as well as increasing the risk of adverse effects on human health. Environ mental toxicology (ET) is the discipline responsible for assessing the risk s to human health and the environment from the effects of new chemicals and those already present in the environment. The development of human resourc es in toxicology is therefore a priority in both Latin America (LA) and the European Union (EU), although LA professionals are more involved in risk e valuation than in risk assessment compared to their EU colleagues. A solid background in general toxicology will enable those interested in environmen tal issues to tackle local problems. Moreover, the increasing globalization of markets and, therefore, of the necessary regulations, requires harmonis ation of postgraduate programmes to ensure that risk assessment and managem ent related to the environment are dealt with uniformly and by highly quali fied scientists. The Inaugural Meeting of the ALFA-OMET Toxicology', a 2-ye ar programme supported by the European Commission, offered the opportunity to discuss a number of these issues. The present status of existing ET cour ses in the EU and LA. and the corresponding professional profiles in the tw o regions were examined, and a harmonized academic curriculum for a postgra duate professional profiles in the two regions were examined, and a harmoni zed academic curriculum for a postgraduate course in environmental toxicolo gy was developed. Finally, a course programme for toxicology and a speciali zation in environmental toxicology designed by a panel of experts was discu ssed, and its relevance as a model for other specialisation programmes was analysed. Exercises such as those performed by ALFA-OMET may be useful not only in promoting discussion for the implementation of national and interna tional professional registers in LA, but also in encouraging the same, ongo ing process in the EU. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. FLU rights re served.