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We translated our research findings on melamine exposure into health education materials, specifically,

• Our research indicated that people are still exposed to low-dose melamine from daily use of melamine tableware and containers. Our finding was reported by Time magazine.
• The American Chemical Society and Asian Scientific Magazine cited our researching findings and published articles to educate the public on how to decreases daily melamine exposure.
• National Environmental Health Research Center invited us to write the health education materials on how to avoid environmental melamine exposure, and the materials are published on NHRI’s website. Recently, we also participated in the drafting of NHRI’s 2030 White Paper on Children’s Health and Health Policy. Our research provided evidences on the health risk of melamine exposure to children and served as an important reference for policy making.
• The government has gradually implemented relevant policies based on evidence and recommendations provided by our Center. For example, Taipei City Hall’s restaurant and food courts in some department stores have began to discontinue the use of melamine tableware.

Phthalates Incident 

In recognition of the outbreak of phthalate-tainted food scandal in Taiwan, the Center has positively affirmed cross-sector cooperation for primary prevention which includes the followings: 

• We organized a cross-disciplinary medical service team and opened a special clinic, Phthalates Clinic for Children, to serve children who were potentially exposed to phthalates-tainted foodstuffs. At the same time, we took the initiative to provide clinical expertise to the National Institutes of Health, in order to help the central government to respond to individual complaints received nationwide on phthalate exposure.
• Until now, we still provide medical care to nationwide plasticizer complainants under the base of collaboration with National Health Research Institutes. The contribution entitled “The Featured Medical Care Service for New Environmental Diseases --- the Example of Plasticizer Incident” of our Center was rewarded with three Symbols of National Quality (SNQ) during 2013~2016. We are so far the only institute in the field of Environmental and Occupational Medicine in Taiwan that are rewarded with three consequent SNQ. Our other SNQ are the efforts entitled “Promoting Health Service for Integrated Workplaces” in the period of 2012-2013, and “Service of Career Reconstruction for Labor Victims of Occupational Disasters” 2016-2017.

Hazard of Cooking Oil Fume

The Center provided scientific evidences to help the Ministry of Labor to determine the world’s first case of occupation-related lung adenocarcinoma due to long-term exposure to cooking oil fumes. Further, we will formulate the guidelines for the identification of such occupational disease and to help occupational physicians in identifying and diagnosing the disease.

Health Hazards Prevention for Betel Nut Chewing

The Center has brought international attentions to the adverse relationship between betel-quid chewing and oral/esophageal cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified betel-quid use as an imperative risk factor for oral and esophageal cancers.

• Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare translated our research findings into preventive action and deemed December 3^rd the “Taiwan Areca Control Day.”
• The Center held a “Mini-Symposium on the Health Risk Related to Betel-Quid Chewing and Addiction” on April 27^th, 2016 and has been translating research results into languages that can be easily understood by the public.
  

Drug and Toxin Analysis Platform

Owing to the abuse of new Narcotics in recent years, our Center set up the only urine analysis facility for drugs/narcotics abuse certified by Food and Drug Administration in Southern Taiwan. We will take action in the best interest of the general public in Taiwan regarding to the safety issues of Toxics and Drugs / Narcotics. 

• Our Center is serving as a nationwide, specialized identification unit for sexual harassment related Drugs / Narcotics.
• Taiwan High Prosecutors Office appointed our Center as the official drugs/narcotics identification organization.
• Our identification unit has detection capacity of more than 70 toxics / drugs / narcotics, including new abused narcotics.
• Our Center is the only institute that performs authenticity tests for urine specimens of toxics/drugs/narcotics abused individuals.
• During the major severe incidents of food safety issues, our Center assisted the Department of Health of Kaohsiung City Government and provided the citizens free services including plasticizer and clenbuterol tests. We were required by National Health Research Institutes to implement the Three-Year Plan of the Plasticizer Issue. We were rewarded with multiple certificates of recognition because of these efforts.