Nearly 200 students from four secondary schools in Mol came together at Tabloo in Dessel to celebrate the Festival of the Future. The event featured a morning of workshops, music, and presentations of their self-created posters, marking the end of an educational programme focused on health and the environment.
Copyright pictures: DO
As citizens, we are becoming increasingly aware of the exposure to potentially harmful substances that we encounter every day through our environment. However, it is not always clear how harmful these substances are. To find this out, 3xG researchers are collecting a mountain of data on harmful substances in our bodies, our living environment, and our lifestyles. To gain a realistic picture, around 300 children from Dessel, Mol, and Retie are being closely monitored, from the mother’s pregnancy to their 18th birthday.
Thanks to the 3xG study, it is now possible to create a "barometer" for harmful substances in our environment. The researchers are gaining a better understanding of the effects that these potentially harmful substances have on our health. Additionally, they are investigating whether there is a link between our environment, lifestyle, and the substances our bodies are exposed to. Through this intensive 3xG study, the 'Dessel, Mol, Retie' region has become one of the best-monitored areas in Flanders.
Almost all of the 3xG children are now teenagers, so it’s time to make them understand why their involvement is so important. Through the educational package 'Health Guardians,' students from four secondary schools in Mol discovered the 3xG study and gained deeper insights into the influence of our environment on our health. The Festival of the Future gives them the opportunity to, armed with new knowledge about the environment and health, ask questions to the 3xG researchers and work together to find answers by diving into the 3xG database. Each question for the researchers was creatively transformed into a scientific poster through group work. These self-made posters will be displayed in the coming weeks at Gangmakers at 't Getouw in Mol and at VITOpolis, the interactive expo of VITO in Mol.
About 3xG
The 3xG study is a scientific research project conducted by VITO, PIH, and UAntwerpen. The goal of the project is to map exposure to environmental pollutants in the Mol, Dessel, and Retie region, in order to monitor the health of the local population. The project was initiated as part of one of the conditions for the surface disposal of low- and medium-level short-lived waste in Dessel, supported by the partnerships STORA and MONA, commissioned by NIRAS.
