Scientific divulgation and risk communication a look at Adrianopois, Ribeira Valley

Author(s)

Gabriela Marques Di Giulio

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Geociências
• Defense date: 2006-10-11

Examining board members

Newton Müller Pereira; Lúcia da Costa Ferreira; Léa Maria Leme Strini Velho

• Advisor: Bernardino Ribeiro Figueiredo; Newton Müller Pereira

Abstract

The present study was aimed to assess how the information about lead contamination in Adrianópolis (Paraná State, Brazil) impacted the day to day life of local residents. This study focused on the consequences of the lack of an efficient risk communication strategy in connection with environmental and public health studies carried out in Adrianópolis in the recent past. The role of scientists in the social construction of risk, the increasing importance of risk communication in public health and environmental studies, along with the responsibility of the media in the scientific divulgation and in the amplification of risk perception were considered among the topics analyzed in this study. These were approached by a combination of three data sources: scientific literature, documentary studies and empiric research. The latter included interviews with researchers, journalists, local residents and authorities, formeremployees of the Plumbum refinery and professionals of the Secretary of Health (Parana State). An analytical review of the news about lead contamination in Adrianópolis published in five communication vehicles in 2001 was also included in this study. The results point out that although the media is very important for the democratization of information, it interferes directly with the perception that people have about the risks since it reinforces people beliefs and myths and may contribute to strengthen negative stigmas about people and locations. The results showed that researchers and public agencies are well concerned about risk communication, but the debate about this theme in Brazil still has a long way to go to reach the same levels of standards of other countries. Finally, some guidelines and recommendations about risk communication and scientific divulgation are suggested to be adopted by Brazilian researchers (AU)