Environmental health

Local Opinions on Risk and Recovery Management in the Wake of the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster

Second of a two-part series, this document presents the results of an ethnographic research project entitled Préoccupations, opinions, apprentissages et souhaits quant aux risques et à la gestion des risques de la population de la région de Lac-Mégantic [Concerns, opinions, lessons learned, and wishes respecting risk and risk management among the population of the Lac-Mégantic region]. This qualitative study was commissioned by the Direction de santé publique de l’Estrie after the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster of July 6, 2013. Between July 2014 and February 2015, 57 semi-structured interviews were conducted with evacuated and non-evacuated residents of Lac-Mégantic, residents of other area municipalities, and socioeconomic stakeholders. The study makes no claim to represent the situation as it may stand at the time of reading or in the future. A number of changes have taken place since fieldwork was conducted in Lac-Mégantic, notably at the municipal govern…

Presence of Psychoactive Substances in Biological Samples From Drivers Fatally Injured in Québec From 2002 to 2013

Since 2002, the number of road traffic deaths in Québec has been falling steadily, even though the number of motor vehicles on the road – automobiles, in particular – has increased considerably. Nevertheless, the use of alcohol, drugs and medications is frequently cited as a cause of road traffic accidents by public authorities, since these psychoactive substances have the potential to impair driving.

The aim of this study is to present a profile of the psychoactive substances (i.e. alcohol, drugs and medications) examined and detected among motor vehicle and motorcycle drivers aged 16 years and over who were killed in road traffic accidents in Québec from 2002 to 2013.

The main findings are as follows:

  • The presence of psychoactive substances in the drivers of motor vehicles figured among the circumstances of death, but no assessment of a causal link between this presence and road traffic accidents was made.
  • The proportion of fatal…

Assessment of the Health Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

  • This report is based on an analysis of scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals and on expert reports by recognized national and international health organizations.
  • Sources of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) are varied and increasingly prevalent.
  • Public exposure to RF-EMFs comes from two types of sources:
    • Local (near-field) sources
      These are sources to which people are exposed at very short distances, namely less than a few centimetres from the body. Cell phones and cordless phones are two examples. Exposure from local sources can be close to the limits established under existing standards.
    • Environmental sources
      These are sources to which the body is exposed at greater distances. They include microwave ovens, wireless Internet routers, smart meters, and radio, TV, and cell phone antennas. Exposure from environmental sources is generally much lower than established exposure limits…

Advisory on a Québec Policy to Fight Environmental Noise: Towards Healthy Sound Environments

  • Environmental noise, defined as noise emitted from all sources excluding those in the workplace, is pervasive and constitutes a risk to health and quality of life.

  • The review of the scientific literature shows that noise is a public health issue that can have multiple consequences, both physical and psychosocial. Environmental noise can be a source of sleep disturbance, interference with the ability to learn at school, cardiovascular disease, annoyance (discomfort, disturbance), hearing loss and tinnitus.

  • Environmental noise is a source of complaints and lawsuits, which are indicative of social acceptance issues. Public reactions attest to diverging interests in society, particularly with regard to the model and overall vision of land development and the need for tranquillity.

  • According to a conservative estimate, the societal costs associated with the effects of environmental noise amount to some $680 m…

IVAIRE Project: Study of the Impacts of Ventilation on Indoor Air Quality in the Home and on the Respiratory Health of Asthmatic Children

The objectives of the Impact de la Ventilation sur l’Air intérieur et la Respiration des Enfants asthmatiques dans les habitations (IVAIRE) project were to evaluate the impact of ventilation on indoor air quality and the frequency of respiratory symptoms in asthmatic children living in single family homes. The two-phase project was broken down into two one-year periods: the pre-intervention phase (Phase I) to complete a descriptive study of all participants recruited and the selection of participants eligible for the randomized study on improved ventilation, and the post-intervention phase (Phase II) to follow up with participants in the randomized study.

In cooperation with the Asthma Clinic at the Centre mère-enfant (CME) of Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ) [the mother-child centre at the Québec university hospital centre], and with the consent of the families involved, the research team recruited 115 children from ages 3 to 12. For an entire ye…

Evaluation of the Fichier hebdomadaire des décès for estimating heat wave impacts

Since the 2010 summer season, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) has been producing an annual report on the impact of extreme heat waves on the health of the population, using the Fichier hebdomadaire des décès of the Institut de la statistique du Québec (ISQ). The main purpose of this study is to verify the validity of this data source. The study also aims to measure the impact of age, material deprivation, and the presence of urban heat islands on the frequency of deaths during extreme heat waves.

A useful monitoring tool

Individual and Social Effects of Changes Related to the Resumption of Mining Activity in Malartic: 2006–2013

Using a qualitative approach, researchers consider how Malartic residents have experienced changes in their community resulting from the development of an open pit mine and the effects of these changes on quality of life and social dynamics. They also collected residents’ opinions about risk management, their perceptions about health risks and their hopes and outlook for the future.

The main findings of the study are as follows:

  • The arrival of the Canadian Malartic mine improved the quality of life for certain residents and revitalized the economy.
  • The announcement and subsequent development of the mine had psychological impacts leading to feelings of distress, anger, demotivation, resignation and loss of trust in authority.
  • The mine also had social impacts, including increased inequality between residents, conflict and community polarization.
  • Among the social impacts, the two most often mentioned by respondents were the relocatio…

Mould Compendium

Welcome to the Mould Compendium Web site. This site includes a series of descriptive fact sheets on some moulds present in the indoor environment.

Each of these fact sheets contains information relating to different biological, medical and toxicological aspects of the moulds. These fact sheets also describe the requirements for mould growth as well as the materials on which moulds can grow.

The site is accessible to everyone at no charge. It is intended for physicians, researchers, construction professionals, as well as the general public.

Terms of use and disclaimer

These terms of use constitute a legal agreement between the user of the site and the…

Mould Compendium

Welcome to the Mould Compendium Web site. This site includes a series of descriptive fact sheets on some moulds present in the indoor environment.

Each of these fact sheets contains information relating to different biological, medical and toxicological aspects of the moulds. These fact sheets also describe the requirements for mould growth as well as the materials on which moulds can grow.

The site is accessible to everyone at no charge. It is intended for physicians, researchers, construction professionals, as well as the general public.

Terms of use and disclaimer

These terms of use constitute a legal agreement between the user of the site and the…

Guide for the evaluation of a warning system for people vulnerable to heat and smog

Weather warning systems are among the main policy tools used by public authorities to protect the population from vagaries in the weather. More particularly, weather warning systems are implemented so that the government can monitor weather conditions and issue warnings when extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold waves, heavy rainfall, etc., threaten the population. As is the case in all public interventions, it is important to analyze the performance of these systems, in order to evaluate their contribution to the population's safety and well-being.

In this report, a guide for evaluating warning systems for people vulnerable to heat and smog is presented. It is intended for managers and evaluators of these systems. It provides them with an analytical framework and methods for evaluating their relevance, implementation and impacts.

The guide proposes that relevance analysis must address the need for warning systems for people vulnerable to heat and smog. Mo…