The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) Unit focuses on understanding the impacts of environmental factors on human health and well-being, with core expertise in environmental toxicology and microbiology. Supported by advanced laboratory facilities, the unit conducts comprehensive analyses ranging from analytical chemistry to molecular microbiology to evaluate environmental hazards and associated health risks.

The unit’s work involves identifying environmental hazards, assessing exposure pathways, evaluating health effects, and estimating risks to individuals and communities. Key areas include the assessment of chemicals and emerging pollutants such as heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pesticides, and microplastics, as well as microbiological agents including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Through environmental toxicology research, the HRA Unit performs in-depth risk assessments to evaluate cumulative and population-level impacts of multiple pollutants, identify vulnerable groups, and develop mitigation strategies. In environmental microbiology, the unit applies a One Health approach to study antimicrobial resistance, communicable and zoonotic diseases, focusing on pathogen detection, transmission pathways, and environmental monitoring in water, wastewater, and other environmental matrices.