Exposomics for Better Environmental Health

(Source: The Hindu, Editorial Page)

Also Read: The Indian Express Editorial Analysis: 05 June 2025
Also Read: The Hindu Editorial Analysis: 05 June 2025

Topic: GS Paper 3: Environment and Health; Science and Technology – Developments and Applications

Context

The editorial discusses how exposomics—the study of cumulative environmental exposures and their impact on human health—can significantly enhance India’s public health frameworks, especially in light of chronic disease burdens and climate change.

Background: 

• Traditional environmental health assessments rely on limited pollutant data and retrospective surveys. With rising cases of lifestyle diseases, cancers, and respiratory ailments, there’s a need for comprehensive models that measure long-term exposure to chemicals, air quality, diet, and stress. This is where exposomics becomes crucial—it maps the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards, complementing genomics in understanding disease etiology.

What is Exposomics?

• A field that studies the entire range of environmental exposures (pollutants, diet, stress, chemicals) across a lifetime.

• It connects external factors with internal biological responses using tools like mass spectrometry, biomarkers, and AI modeling.

Why India Needs It?

• India faces a dual burden of pollution-linked diseases and underfunded health surveillance.

• Exposomics can help map patterns linking regional pollution to diseases like asthma, cancer, or cardiovascular issues.

• Especially useful in urban slums and industrial zones where traditional monitoring fails.

Policy Integration Gaps:

• India’s health policy largely focuses on disease treatment rather than prevention through environmental risk tracking.

• Lack of centralized exposure databases and limited research infrastructure hamper progress.

• National Health Mission or Ayushman Bharat could integrate exposomics for targeted interventions.

International Examples:

• U.S. and EU countries are already investing in exposomic cohorts to predict chronic illness risk through early exposure profiling.

• India can collaborate via data sharing and joint research to build capacity.

Way Forward:

• Establish national exposome research centers under ICMR/CSIR with links to environmental monitoring agencies.

• Encourage interdisciplinary training of health workers in data science, toxicology, and environmental health.

• Build public awareness on cumulative exposure risks and promote preventive lifestyle practices based on exposomic insights.

Practice Question: Discuss the significance of exposomics in strengthening India’s environmental health surveillance. How can it be integrated into public health policy? (GS Paper 3 | 250 words | 15 marks)