Volume 35, no. 1, January 2022. Microplastics in drinking water. The role of the National Centre for Chemicals at the ISS in the surveillance of dangerous exposures to chemical products: potential Sentinel Events reported by Poison Centres. Donating is a natural choice. ISS at the Forum Risk Management in Health 2021: change starts from the bottom.

Abstracts:

Microplastics in drinking water
Microplastics, synthetic and semisynthetic polymers ranging in size from 1 µm to 5 mm, are now widespread contaminants in all environments, especially aquatic ones. Increasing production, relative low cost and resistance to degradation resulted in the growing accumulation of plastic residues on the planet, currently one of the most serious environmental problems with a potential risk to human health. In recent years, several research groups investigated the possible spread of microplastics in tap water and the consequent damage to human health. Microplastics have also been included in the control list of the new European Directive 2020/2184 for water intended for human consumption.

The role of the National Centre for Chemicals at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS - National Institute of Health in Italy - in the surveillance of dangerous exposures to chemical products: potential Sentinel Events reported by Poison Centres
The National Centre for Chemicals, Cosmetics and Consumer Protection at the ISS has started a project work aimed at the implementation of the System for Surveillance of Toxic Exposures and Poisonings (SIN-SEPI). Among other activities, a portal for the report of potential Sentinel Events by the Italian Poison Centres was designed. These events concern the exposures to those chemicals that, for their packaging (colours/pictures/characters) or their labels, may have induced the consumer to confuse them with food or to misuse them. The reports, properly analysed, are notified to the Ministry of Health to carry out potential preventive measures.

Donating is a natural choice: the new campaign aims at informing and raising awareness between citizens about organ, tissue and cell donations
The National Transplant Centre, in order to follow the changes in communication tools and languages occurred during COVID-19 outbreak, has launched a new campaign about organ, tissue and cell donations. The methods of accessing and using information sources have also changed, focusing mainly on new digital and social platforms. On this basis, the National Transplant Centre launched an in-depth scenario research activity aiming at achieving a new strategy for the promotion of what discussed above. A new campaign was born, supported by the Ministry of Health, with the aim to give a new impulse to communication on the subject and to inform citizens on how to become donors.

Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS - The National Institute of Health in Italy - at the Forum Risk Management in Health 2021: change starts from the bottom
The ISS took part in the 16th edition of the “Forum Risk Management in Sanità” (Health Risk Management Forum) in Arezzo from November 30th to December 3rd 2021. The ISS researchers were involved in several conference sessions as speakers; they also had informal meetings at the ISS stand, according to a calendar of seminars on public health issues. The ISS stand had the purpose to show case the tasks of ISS though distribution of publications and other research material; at the same time the stand represented an informal and efficient meeting point for any participant willing to discuss health issues. This new ISS format was attractive and apprecciated by the public.