A Western Paraná State University (Unioeste) opened its Micropollutant Analysis Unit last Friday (13). According to material released to the press, the laboratory, located in Francisco Beltrão, has equipment acquired thanks to a partnership with Itaipu.
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According to the binational company, the agreement between the plant and the university totaled R$2.603.079,77. The structure's highlight is a High Precision Mass Spectrometer, acquired with resources from Itaipu.
The equipment can identify and quantify more than 400 pesticide residues in human, animal and environmental samples. With the results obtained, researchers will be able to analyze the relationship between pollutants and the incidence of breast cancer in the region.
Enio Verri, Brazilian general director of Itaipu, participated in the delivery of the equipment, which will evaluate samples from all over the West and Southwest of Paraná.
“Investing in health and research is investing in people’s well-being. This laboratory is a milestone for understanding and combating breast cancer in the region,” he said.
Carolina Panis, professor and member of the Unioeste Tumor Biology Laboratory, coordinates the project that received resources from Itaipu.
According to the professor, the Southwest has breast cancer rates 50% higher than the national average, with mortality rates 15% higher.
“Without Itaipu’s investment, it would be difficult to have a structure of this size in the Southwest of Paraná. With this spectrometer, it will be possible to investigate precisely how pesticides are correlated with diseases such as cancer,” he said.
The results of the Micropollutant Analysis Unit project will provide unprecedented data for public health policies, as well as for environmental protection.
(With information from Itaipu Binacional)
