The PARC exhibition "Healthy Horizons: Our Journey to Create a Safer Chemical World" was launched during the recent PARC Consortium meeting, held from May 13 to 16 in Hall in Tirol, Austria. This exhibition showcased our ongoing efforts and collaborative initiatives aimed at fostering a safer and healthier environment through innovative chemical risk assessment research and regulation.

The exhibition featured a series of informative displays, different type of postcards promoting PARC scientific publications, the European Human Biomonitoring Laboratory Network, and PARCopedia ↗. Touch screens highlighted the critical work being undertaken by PARC, such as various research projects ↗. Microscopic images ↗ were shown on a screen to make science accessible to everyone and help them understand the impact of chemicals on our health and ecosystems. These images demonstrated the work and findings of PARC researchers in laboratories.

One highlight was an interactive installation titled “Visualising Your Opinion on Chemicals,” which dynamically changed based on participants' responses. Participants were asked to answer different questions by weaving their choices around various options. Specifically, they could choose among 10 chemicals and rate the health risks associated with exposure, the environmental impact, and whether EU regulations adequately address these risks. This installation evolved with participants’ answers, creating a visual representation of collective insights.

From the live graph, some preliminary conclusions were drawn: PFAS, pesticides, and mycotoxins were the substances most frequently commented on, with most opinions indicating that they pose a high or moderate risk to both health and the environment. Additionally, most participants expressed that current EU regulations do not adequately address the risks of these chemicals. Another chemical of interest was microplastics. The responses were highly varied, with some participants rating them as high risk and others considering them to pose no or minimal risk.

Additionally, a survey with 10 questions was displayed to better understand how to improve certain aspects, such as identifying the challenges in translating chemical research into actionable regulatory policies. The survey also aimed to discover the daily attitudes of scientists working on chemical risk assessment. Participants were confronted with questions such as whether they would buy a raincoat they love if there was no chemical information on the label and it might contain PFAS, whether they have ever participated in a human biomonitoring study, and whether they consciously avoid foods known to contain higher levels of harmful chemicals.

By transforming complex data into engaging visual narratives, we make the information accessible and impactful for a diverse audience. With this way to display data and the use of visual storytelling we want to highlight the significance of our findings and the real-world implications of our work.

For more details about the exhibition, please visit P-A-R-C Exhibition | Flickr ↗ and Seeing the unseen: Microscopy reveals the impact of chemicals | Flickr ↗.

Please see this teaser ↗ for PARC research projects displayed in the exhibition or visit our website.