Exposomics is the study of environmental exposures and their impact on human health. It is a new field of research that combines epidemiology, toxicology, and genomics to better understand how different chemicals and other agents in our environment affect our health.
Exposures to environmental chemicals can come from many sources, including the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the products we use every day. These exposures can have both short-term and long-term effects on our health. For example, exposure to lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children; exposure to mercury can damage the nervous system; and exposure to certain pesticides can increase the risk of cancer.
Most people are exposed to hundreds of different chemicals every day, but little is known about how these chemicals interact with each other or how they affect our health over time. The goal of exposomics research is to fill this knowledge gap by identifying which chemicals are most harmful and understanding how they cause disease. This information can then be used to develop strategies for preventing or reducing exposure to these harmful chemicals.
Exposomics research is still in its early stages, but it has already led to some important discoveries about the links between environmental exposures and human health. For example, exposomic studies have found associations between exposure to certain pollutants and an increased risk of asthma, birth defects, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. These findings provide vital information that can be used to improve public health by developing policies to reduce exposure to these pollutants.