Environmental Health & MCS : The Hidden Impact of Toxins with Dr. Caroline Barakat

In this insightful episode of Footprints & Impacts, we sit down with Dr. Caroline Barakat, an Associate Professor specializing in Environmental and Occupational Health at Ontario Tech University. 

With expertise in air pollution, toxin exposure and public health, Dr. Barakat sheds light on the often-overlooked connections between environmental exposures and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).

We explore the long-term health effects of pollution, how chemicals in everyday products contribute to health issues, and the systemic barriers faced by individuals with MCS. Dr. Barakat also discusses the importance of policy change, public awareness, and reducing toxic exposures to create safer environments for all.

This conversation is more important than ever as we approach RESILIENCE 2025: The First Annual International Conference on MCS, taking place virtually on May 1-2, 2025. 

This groundbreaking event will bring together scientists, advocates, policymakers, and individuals with MCS to drive awareness, research and action.

🔗 Learn more & register: https://aseq-ehaq.ca/en/resiliencemcsconference/

Join us for a compelling conversation on the intersection of environmental health, advocacy, and the urgent need for action.

EHAC-ASEC : https://ehac-asec.ca/
ASEQ-EHAQ : https://aseq-ehaq.ca/en/

Transcript

welcome to Footprints and impacts the podcast where we uncover how the environment shapes our health and
0:06
well-being whether you're curious about how chemicals in your surroundings affect you or you're looking for
0:11
practical ways to live a healthier life you're in the right place brought to you by the Environmental Health Association
0:17
of Canada and the Environmental Health Association of Quebec this podcast shines a light on multiple chemical
0:24
sensitivity MCS the importance of healthy least toxic product choices and
0:30
what it means for those navigating this disability where over 1 million Canadians have a diagnosis of MCS we're
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here to raise awareness offer resources for accessibility prevention and build a
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healthier inclusive community let's dive in and explore how our Footprints leave
0:47
a lasting impact on our health and our planet so hi everyone and welcome back
0:55
to Footprints and impacts I'm your host Marco and today we have an enlight Ing and thought-provoking conversation ahead
1:03
of us uh we're diving into the world of environmental health and The crucial connections between our surroundings and
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our well-being Our Guest today is Dr Caroline Barakat an associate professor
1:15
specializing an environmental and occupational health at Ontario Tech University Dr barakat's expertise spans
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several areas of environmental health including air pollution toxic exposure
1:28
and health across the life course she has led impactful research projects exploring the longterm health effects of
1:35
environmental exposures particularly childhood exposure to air pollution and
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the potential risks posed by chemicals in personal care products and household items her work is deeply aligned with
1:48
understanding the intersection of environmental activism and public health and today will explore how these issues
1:55
intersect with the lived experiences of people with multiple chemical sensitiv
2:01
MCS Dr Barat thank you so much for joining us today I'm really excited to have you on the
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show thank you so much Marco I'm really happy to be part of your podcast thank you so uh Dr Barat could
2:16
you start by sharing a bit about your background and what led you to specialize in environmental health
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particularly in relation to toxins and pollution yes sure um I began my
2:30
academic Journey with a strong interest in environmental sciences and human
2:35
health which led me eventually to the field of Health geography where we focus
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on exploring the spatial distribution of Health outcomes we also focus on
2:47
exploring the spatial distribution of determinants of Health whether it be social or physical or cultural
2:54
determinance of Health my early work as you mentioned focused on the intersection of human health and the
3:00
environment including um air pollution and toxic uh um toxin
3:07
exposures um so the long-term Health impacts of childhood exposure to air pollution particularly for vulnerable
3:14
populations became a key focus of my PhD uh work so my initial work when I was
3:22
doing my PhD studies and over time I also became deeply interested in exploring how environmental toxin
3:30
particularly um those that are in personal care products and household items can contribute to health
3:38
inequities across the life course so this drive stems from both a personal
3:44
curiosity and a professional commitment um to understanding how we
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can create healthy environments for everyone particularly for vulnerable
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populations individuals with underlying medical conditions or health conditions
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children the elderly um anyone that has some sort of vulnerability to
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environmental exposures thank you and um I'm sure when
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you mention um individuals with vulnerabilities um this could be
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definitely relatable to multiple chemical sensitivities so how does your
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work relate to multiple chemical sensitivity MCS what connections do you
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see between your research and environmental exposures and the struggles faced by those individuals
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with MCS MCS is a condition that underscores
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the broader challenges posed by environmental exposures particularly for
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individuals who are vulnerable to the effects of chemicals so my research
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focused on understanding and mitigating exposure to fine particulate matter and
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Airborne volatile organic comp compounds the voc's as well as other environmental
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toxins which directly connects to the experiences of individuals with MCS
5:09
individuals with MCS often encounter challenges in everyday environments in their workplaces in their homes and in
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public spaces because the presence of these chemicals is ubiquitous everywhere
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we can find voc's in the air as well as other environmental toxins so my work
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emphasizes increasing awareness of the detrimental health effects of these
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harmful chemicals which can be toxic to the human body and then in creating
5:41
inclusive spaces and exploring how policies can better address the needs of
5:47
this population and other vulnerable populations as well yes thank
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you and one of your areas of expertise is the long-term Health effect of child
5:59
childhood exposure to air pollution how might this be relevant to individuals with MCS particularly as they navigate
6:07
everyday environments that can trigger sensitivities exposure to air pollution
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during childhood as we have seen through a lot of research evidence it has
6:19
lasting effects on the respiratory system but not only on the lungs and the respiratory system also on immune
6:26
function and overall sensitivity to in environmental toxins so these early
6:32
exposures can predispose individuals to heightened sensitivities later in life
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which could then potentially contribute to conditions later on in adulthood such
6:43
as maybe asthma COPD and multiple chemical sensitivity so for individuals
6:50
with multiple chemical sensitivity everyday triggers such as air pollutants
6:55
or household chemicals or scents perfume chemical products May exacerbate their
7:03
sensitivities highlighting the importance of addressing um air quality
7:08
and other environmental factors from an early age so my research seeks to
7:15
identify these Connections in order to um inform preventative strategies and
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improve health outcomes over the life course from childhood onto adulthood if
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we create better environment Ms throughout the life course of individuals we are more likely to
7:34
protect their health and avoid conditions that may happen later on in
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life thank you it's very interesting actually when you when you think about it the compounded exposure and how it
7:48
affects people in the long term you definitely yeah uh you've been involved in research
7:55
on toxin exposure reduction how do chemicals and personal care and
8:01
household products contribute to health problems and why is it essential to reduce exposure for people with MCS so
8:09
as I mentioned um personal care products and household products they are likely
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to be significant sources of exposure to the volatile organic compounds phades
8:21
and other harmful chemicals um parabens triin they're all harmful to the human
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uh body body so these substances can disrupt endocrine function they can
8:34
impair respiratory health and they can contribute to cumulative toxic burdens
8:40
especially for individuals with MCS who often experience more severe reactions
8:47
when they're exposed to those toxins so reducing exposure to these chemicals is
8:52
is essential not only to improve the quality of life for those with MCS but
8:58
also to prevent broader population health risks and having other individuals as well develop those
9:05
sensitivities and those long-term Health um uh outcomes so strategies can be
9:12
adopted strategies like labeling transparency promoting low VOC products
9:18
public education campaigns they're all critical to reducing these exposure and
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increasing awareness of the harm harmful effects that these exposures have have
9:30
on um individuals with MCS and individuals that have sensitivities that have not been diagnosed with it but they
9:37
will eventually or more likely to develop you know respiratory issues asthma MCS and other uh diseases as
9:47
well yeah and in your work you've studied the social and environmental determinants of
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Health uh how can we better support individuals with MCs from a social and
10:01
institutional standpoint to help reduce their exposure to Har for
10:06
chemicals supporting individuals with MCS is a must it's a duty we all have to
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do it this is part of being a human and it requires a multifaceted approach so
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socially we can increase we need to increase awareness of MCS and its
10:24
impacts to reduce stigma and create supportive networks often people people
10:29
that are um uh diagnosed with MCS that are in an environment that where they're
10:35
feeling the sensitivities and feeling that they're not able to breathe or headaches or whatever symptoms they're
10:41
having are dismissed because there are symptoms that are not really felt by others so it is important to reduce that
10:49
stigma and increase awareness of it so that they can have those supportive networks now institutionally
10:56
implementing workplace accommodation ations enhancing building ventilation
11:03
systems establishing chemical free zones in public places are essential steps to
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support those individuals so there needs to be policies um and guidelines to
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reduce exposure to these chemicals to prevent those individuals from having environments that are harmful for them
11:23
policies that mandate for example the use of savor chemicals and products and environment or buying safer chemicals
11:31
and products in environments because they do exist but knowing how to identify those products and then
11:37
purchasing them at the institutional level this can play a pivotal role in minimizing exposures for individuals
11:45
with MCS so whether it's at the social uh level at the institutional level and
11:52
then at the policy level the highest policies these are really important to to protect the environment of individ
11:59
uals that have multiple chemical sensitivity yeah thank you and I see
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that one day at a time more and more policies are being uh put into play more and more institutions are starting
12:12
to uh go the fragrance free routes so you know one day at a time we're
12:17
chipping away at it and hopefully change is slow yeah change is slow but some of
12:23
the big institutions and big local um uh
12:29
Banks and airlines are starting to adopt U scent-free policies and asking for
12:35
training so I think it it also goes with um with their staff right and recently a
12:42
study has been done that these these older aircrafts um they bring in air from
12:49
outside recirculate it into the cabin and newer planes are designed without
12:56
dysfunction so that means there's definitely from from a manufacturing point of view something that's
13:02
stopping uh this this science from going forward in the sense where the the
13:08
airplane manufacturers know that bringing this air in from outside is also mixing it with the the combustion
13:15
of the engines so it it's bringing in a lot of pollutants into the cabin so you
13:20
know these are all things that that add up in in the long term right and need to
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change and it's the same situation when we're living in cold countries in the winter month not a lot of ventilations
13:33
happening so if there are no policies in big buildings institutions that air is
13:38
just circulating inside and it's creating an environment that's not healthy and detrimental for certain
13:45
individuals especially those with MCS oh yeah yeah and uh can you speak of the
13:52
significance of creating awareness around environmental health issues in schools workplaces and public spaces
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especially for those affected by MCS so going from what we were saying because
14:06
change is slow in some cases policies are not adopted to create that environment creating awareness is key um
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it is important to create awareness in in schools workplaces public places it's
14:20
vital for fostering inclusive environment so educational initiatives
14:25
for example can help individuals understand the health impacts of environmental toxins and encourage the
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adoption of safer pratice practices um for individuals with MCS this awareness
14:39
can lead to practical accommodations that can be done such as implementing
14:45
fragrance-free policies improving ventilation um reducing the use of
14:51
harmful chemicals in workplaces and educational institutions so promoting
14:57
environmental health literacy overall empowers communities to advocate for
15:03
healthier and more inclusive spaces for everyone and so that is a key forward
15:09
where you know creating awareness and um creating an a better literacy when it
15:16
comes to environmental health is able to move things forward for the time being
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until other policies are put in place and more um Industries are aware of this
15:28
situation and you know promoting the use of these less toxic
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products yeah and I mean this is this is where my next question goes right back
15:41
to to policies and and I know we're touching it a bit on it and like um in
15:47
your opinion how could Public Health Systems and policies better address the needs of people with MCS given the
15:54
increasing awareness of chemical sensitivities and environmental pollutants
15:59
that's a very important question because I've focused so far like in the previous question that you asked on creating
16:05
awareness and empowering communities but public health systems are super
16:11
important they are in place to play a role so they can better address the needs of individuals with MCS by first
16:19
recognizing MCS as a legitimate condition and then integrating it into
16:24
their health policies so this includes um doing more research or funding for
16:30
research on chemical sensitivities establishing guidelines for chemical
16:35
exposure limits currently we don't have many for a lot of the toxins that impact
16:41
people with MCS whether it's parabens or phades um we lack those guidelines so
16:47
establishing some type of guidelines for chemical exposure limits promoting safer
16:53
Alternatives in consumer products these are all important uh tasks that can be
16:59
done by Public Health Systems now policies should also emphasize accessibility by mandating
17:06
fragrance-free and low volatile organic com uh compounds chemicals environments
17:12
in public places and workplaces it's essential that we use low voc's and we
17:19
um Implement scent-free policies so that individuals can be
17:24
protected and their health can be protected so collaboration between policy makers researchers advy groups is
17:32
essential to ensure that the voices of individuals that have those multiple
17:39
chemical sensitivity or that have other respiratory Health uh problems that also
17:45
are impacted by those chemicals that their voices are heard and their needs are
17:53
addressed thank you so much that's uh that's some great great great information thank you attention to all
18:00
our listeners hi everyone we'll be right back after this short announcement as always thanks for tuning in to this
18:06
episode of footprints and impacts if you're passionate about improving awareness and advancing research on
18:11
multiple chemical sensitivity MCS mark your calendars for May 1st and May 2nd
18:17
2025 that's May 1st and May 2nd 2025 come join us at the resilience
18:23
International Conference on MCS hosted by the environmental health associations of Quebec and Canada this virtual event
18:30
will bring together top researchers Advocates and Global experts to share groundbreaking insights and discuss the
18:37
future of MCS research healthc care and advocacy day one dives into the latest
18:42
findings on the biological and cellular mechanisms of MCS while day two tackles
18:48
Global challenges from stigma and bias to collaboration with International organizations like the UN this
18:54
conference is fully online via Zoom participate from anywhere it's accessible with ASL lsq and multilingual
19:02
captioning interdisciplinary dialogue with experts across medicine bioethics
19:07
law and more together we can definitely make a difference so don't miss out on this powerful event your voice and
19:14
support can drive real change for those affected by MCS for more info check out the links in the description of this
19:19
podcast visit our websites and our socials the registration link will be available on our Instagram Facebook and
19:24
Linkedin Pages as well as on zy that's Z e FY together we could build a more
19:31
inclusive and resilient world for people with MCS see you
19:37
there so you're currently working on projects involving women's knowledge and
19:42
perceptions of toxin exposures how does this research intersect with the experiences of women with MCS and what
19:50
are they finding what are the key findings so far yeah thank you for this question so
19:57
we know that women often have bio exposures to environmental toxins due to their use of you know household products
20:04
or personal care products um more than males in general many of these products
20:10
have harmful chemical um chemicals in in them so a key finding from our research
20:17
revealed that despite participants reporting a prevalence of 20% for
20:23
chemical sensitivity and we were not looking for that it was just one question and a survey that we sent if
20:31
individuals have uh been diagnosed or if someone from their family um household
20:36
has been diagnosed with chemical sensitiv sensitivity and 20% said that they were so either themselves or their
20:43
family member so that is a key finding and despite that what we saw from our survey is that some woman had never
20:50
heard of the risks associated with harmful chemicals prior to the study and
20:56
some of these chemicals are very much uh reported and on products as
21:02
well so parabens Pates lead triin many of them had never heard of these
21:08
chemicals so there's a disconnect and this disconnect highlights a significant
21:13
Gap in awareness and it underscores the need for Effective knowledge
21:19
dissemination when participants were provided with information about these risks it significantly influenced their
21:27
behavior so we did a followup study where we um introduced a toolkit to a a
21:34
cohort of individuals and we told them about the risks of these chemical products and then we monitored their
21:40
behavior and what we found that now that they know it's significantly in um influenced their behavior and it
21:47
prompted them to make safer choices so when we're looking at specifically women
21:53
that are diagnosed with MCS or that experience multiple chemical sensitivity
21:59
these challenges are even more critical as even minimal exposures can trigger
22:05
severe reactions so it's important to be aware of that and and have a support
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network around them that is there that is aware of those severe reactions so that um better environments are promoted
22:19
so the research that I've done emphasizes the urgent need for targeted
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education accessible safer alternative lives to products with these chemicals
22:31
and stronger regulation to protect Women's Health particularly for those
22:37
with heightened sensitivities so we're you know circling back to social um
22:43
aspect of it we want to let people know and people need to be aware of those health effects but also at the
22:50
institutional level and at the policy level more work needs to be done to protect those individuals and other
22:58
indiv idual that are affected by these chemicals yes thank you and I mean
23:03
there's the list grows more and more and there's more and more groups that are um
23:10
sharing these new found knowledges be it on black Plastics be it on um women's
23:16
hygiene products um there's there's so much garbage in these products and like
23:23
they've been getting away with it for years and sometimes it even makes you ask why are you putting these products
23:30
in or these ingredients in your products you know and and when media catches you
23:37
know uh wind of it it it people know they change their
23:42
behavior uh which helps right but at the policy level things need to be done to
23:47
protect the health of individuals oh yeah I think that's where
23:53
the first step has to come in is if you're if you're going to be putting a
23:59
product on the market and you want to have certain ingredients in it then it needs to be labeled there has to be some
24:05
kind of a warning sign you know um like cigarettes have warning signs now
24:11
apparently even alcohol is going to start having warning signs on them so I mean there should be the same signs on
24:18
beauty products uh scented products you know even HG products as
24:24
well even um toys you know like uh there's there's a lot of toys out there
24:30
that have a long list of past chemicals in them and kids are playing with them
24:36
and you know the rest history like they say yeah so yeah it's uh it's a it's a
24:43
changing world but at least now the the world is uh is way more communicative
24:49
where people talk about experiences and people ask a lot of questions nowadays I think that's the that's the core of it
24:57
so uh going back to to my questions the connection between environmental health
25:05
and MCS is critical yet often overlooked how do you think advocacy could play a
25:12
role in raising awareness about MCS and its links to environmental
25:17
factors advocacy is essential for bringing visibility to MCS and its
25:23
environmental links so advocacy efforts can include Public Health uh uh
25:28
campaigns public awareness campaigns policy lobbying and then collaboration
25:34
with organizations to promote safer practic uh practices to also promote
25:40
research that can inform what are the safer practices that population or
25:46
individuals in in certain populations can take so these initiatives can help educate the public about the condition
25:54
they can reduce the stigma related to those individuals that have MCS and they
26:00
can encourage systemic changes that prioritize the health and well-being of
26:07
individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity so advocacy also empowers
26:13
individuals to take control of their environments and to demand healthier
26:18
more inclusive spaces feeling inclusive is a must right like to have control of
26:24
their environments and not be dismissed that would create an environment for those with MCS to to to be empowered
26:33
right and then make changes to their environments and then hopefully live a healthier or better quality of life um
26:41
given you know what they are facing thank you and um finally Dr
26:48
Barakat what advice would you give to individuals newly diagnosed with MCS particularly in terms of managing
26:56
environmental risks and navigating their daily lives this is a hard question um it's
27:03
hard uh dealing with a new situation is often challenging for many so for
27:10
individuals newly diagnosed with MCS my advice would be to prioritize creating a
27:16
safe and supportive environment so making sure or working on having an
27:24
environment that's Health conducive for them right so uring scent-free
27:29
products improving home ventilation trying to identify potential triggers
27:35
just living a healthier lifestyle what sort of uh personal products are they buying household products Furniture what
27:42
are their triggers um that are causing this situation to to this health um uh
27:49
outcome to to develop or to uh flare and try to improve this um environment it's
27:58
easier said than done unfortunately for many another advice that I want to give
28:03
them is to work towards building a strong support network of family and
28:10
friends and healthc Care Professionals because that is crucial we cannot live in isolation and unfortunately with a
28:20
condition like MCS it becomes hard for individuals to attend functions birthday
28:27
parties weddings or whatnot so what can be done it is important to build that support network of family and friends
28:33
that understand what is happening and help in creating um a better environment
28:40
healthc care is essential for individuals with MCS so how do they look for the health care that they need where
28:48
also this is a a place that's conducive to their health not a place that they can't attend because it is not offering
28:55
let's say sense free environments so I would encourage them to stay informed about environmental
29:02
health to advocate for accommodations in their workplaces in public places in
29:08
their health care uh clinics for example and amongst their friends and family um
29:15
it is important to keep them part of the community included in a community and
29:21
you know it is important to remember as well that for individuals with MCS it's a journey but with the right resources
29:29
and support it is likely po uh possible to manage those sensitivities and
29:36
improve the quality uh of Life Advocate right be part of those um advocacy
29:42
groups and and sometimes it also involves educating the healthc Care
29:48
Professionals themselves off that condition so that they're um better
29:53
accommodated and then they can seek the help uh that they need it's it's sometimes easier said than done as I
29:59
said but this is my advice um to those indiv individuals that are experiencing
30:05
some sort of sensitivity and as I mentioned in many cases it goes um and
30:10
if it's not really you know uh significant it may go unnoticed and
30:16
people are not aware of their triggers or what's uh causing you know different Health outcomes whether it's migraines
30:23
or whether it's um not feeling fatigued because there's not a lot of awareness
30:28
about this condition at every level even in the um in the healthc care world as
30:36
well yeah but it's important to have people like you put these things on podcasts and more research and and talk
30:43
about it yeah more dissemination to increase awareness so
30:49
um uh Dr Barat you'll be uh you'll be speaking at the resilience uh conference
30:56
International Conference on multiple chemical sensitivity um how do you feel about
31:04
giving giving a a speech or talking at such a a big conference
31:10
internationally so um part of my job is to disseminate the
31:16
research that I do so it's it's it's from that and you know I'm happy that we have research related to chemicals and
31:24
chemical sensitivities and we are going to be disseminating those results at the resilience conference but from the other
31:30
end I'm really excited about that event um not only for sharing my research and
31:37
my findings as well as research that I have undertaken uh with my students we have a research team and there's several
31:44
projects that we're going to be um um talking about basically and introducing
31:49
the results to but I'm happy that it's um the size of the event or who is there
31:54
there's a lot of stakeholders in there so there's a policy makers there's the um medical professionals that are going
32:01
to be talking about the biological aspect of the disease so looking at it as an event it is an exciting exciting
32:08
event to uh be part of um because the awareness or the outcomes of that event
32:15
are going to Target different aspects spreading awareness about the biological
32:20
nature of the disease the uh of MCS and the condition the symptoms how it
32:26
relates to individuals their lived experiences and then moving into how the
32:31
environment can be better uh protected for those individuals this is where I
32:38
fit in but I'm really excited to be part of that event and I'm looking forward for it and I do encourage everyone that
32:45
wants to learn more um about this event to attend you don't have to have multiple chemical sensitivity or have
32:52
someone diagnosed with it to attend it is uh it is knowledge for everyone to have so I'm really excited about that
32:58
event and I encourage everyone to attend thank you and uh you mentioned one of
33:04
your students will be speaking as well as the the event is there anything you want to say about
33:10
that um so as again part of my job I do have um several graduate students that
33:16
work with me on the research projects one of my students has moved on to um
33:22
study medicine so she's a medical student and she's also involved in a research project that's looking at the
33:28
lived experiences of individuals with MCS so I'm excited as well to have her
33:33
part of that event um and um the research that you know we've worked on
33:39
together and the findings are very interesting and it's uh there are
33:44
findings that need to be widely disseminated so we're happy to introduce them um at this event but we're also
33:52
looking at publication in in uh peer-review journals and academic journals um as a followup so that this
33:59
knowledge is widely shared within the academic Community as well perfect thank
34:05
you and this uh resilience event takes place on May 1st and May 2nd um I know
34:12
we have a mid roll ad playing during the episodes so uh all the information will be there but you can always find the
34:18
information on uh the Environmental Health Association of Canada's website
34:23
or the Environmental Health Association of Quebec's website so that's May 1st
34:29
and 2nd 2025 and it gathers researchers Advocates experts and perspectives from
34:36
all around the world so um we look forward to seeing you at the event and any final thoughts you know
34:45
like what do you see the future for MCS or environmental health what's your what's your view on the longterm
34:52
shortterm long term let's say yeah I'm an optimistic person so I'm hoping for
34:58
change um I'm hope I hope change is at the highest level where it comes to um
35:04
like you said one of the things that you were saying is like before things are put like products are put on shelves or
35:10
made available to individuals testing needs to be done this is often where we
35:15
lack um uh you know uh where we lack in terms of um how to
35:23
make things available for individuals so Market drives a lot of our choices
35:29
things are up on the Shelf people buy them but things should be tested before they're put out on on the mark whether
35:36
it's personal care products construction material tampons hygiene products uh
35:41
creams masks household chemicals all that I hope change is done at the
35:47
highest level as well and it is important for individuals to be aware
35:52
that many products are are not really tested for the these potential toxins or
35:59
those H harmful chemicals so we need to be aware of these products and that's
36:04
where my research is focusing on thank you thank you so much for
36:11
sharing today and um I think this was a a great podcast I think uh our our
36:18
audience definitely got a lot of good information uh especially coming from uh
36:24
from a health professional from a professor it's always it's always more
36:29
reassuring uh so uh Dr Barakat thank you so much for sharing your expertise and
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insights with us today uh your work is helping to shed light on the complex
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relationship between environmental exposures and health and it's crucial for raising awareness about conditions
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like MCS uh we appreciate the invaluable perspective you've provided and we look
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forward to seeing how your research will continue to drive positive change to our listeners sure to take some time to
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reflect on today's conversation and let's keep working together to create a healthier more supportive environment
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for everybody and uh thank you for tuning in to Footprints and impacts until next time stay informed and take
37:11
care Dr to Barat if you want to say goodbye to our guests thank you so much Marco and again on my part thank you so
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much for tuning in and uh it was a pleasure to have uh to be with you on
37:24
Footprints and impacts and uh good luck just stay informed yeah thank you and
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hopefully we'll we'll see you again in the in the near future for some uh some more in-depth conversation thank you so
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much Marco thank you thanks for tuning in to this episode of footprints and
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impacts if you found value in today's conversation be sure to subscribe leave a comment and share it with friends
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family and especially someone who might benefit don't forget to follow our upcoming episodes for more insights on
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sustainability Health inclusion and how we can all make a positive environmental
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impact until next time stay curious take care of yourself and be
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well this podcast is part of the empowering community and removal of barriers project funded in part by the
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government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships program disability component