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Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and Toxicology

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A view of the ICSAT building, Toxicology wing side.

The Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and Toxicology (Alexandrian: Institut des sciences de la santé environnementale et de la toxicologie; Martino: Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud Ambiental y Toxicología; Wechua: Kawsay Muyu Yachay Wasi, ICSAT) is a national research institute for environmental health sciences and toxicology in Nouvelle Alexandrie, located in Vida Science Park in Cárdenas. It is dedicated to studying how environmental factors, pollution, and toxic substances affect both human health and ecosystems, combining field research, analytical chemistry, epidemiology, and risk assessment to support national health and environmental policy. It employs about 400 researchers, including over 40 postgraduates from the University of Cárdenas, and is one of the few national institutes that pairs laboratory analysis with fieldwork in environmental health.

History

The ICSAT was formally established in 1692 AN by the Department of Research and Development as part of an initiative to expand the environmental research capabilities of the National Health Institute. Initially operating out of shared laboratory space with the National Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, the institute moved into its own building in Vida Science Park in 1694 AN. Its main sponsors were Dr. Joaquín Herrera Montoya, a prominent toxicologist, and Dr. Ramón Echeverría, an environmental scientist.

From its early days, ICSAT played a central role in evaluating the public health risks of industrial expansion and manufacturing in Cárdenas' growing urban center. Notable early projects included studies on air quality and a national survey of heavy metal contamination in agricultural areas, which provided data for national policy.

A major expansion between 1730 AN and 1734 AN, under the National Health Plan, allocated over NAX€2.2 billion to modernize its infrastructure. For ICSAT this meant a doubling of laboratory capacity, a high-containment toxicology wing, new mobile monitoring units, and advanced analytical equipment. The expansion allowed the institute to take on nationwide environmental monitoring and to act as a rapid-response hub for chemical-spill incidents. Its monitoring work supports the prevention and environmental-health goals of national health policy.

Research

ICSAT research covers the full spectrum of environmental science, with a focus on human health and ecology. Its work is broadly organized into several core areas:

  • Environmental Health & Epidemiology
  • Toxicology
  • Remediation science
  • Health risk assessment

The ICSAT hosts a dedicated supercomputer cluster for national environmental monitoring, RAIRE (Integrated Analysis of Resources and Environment Network), capable of processing real-time data streams from air, water, and soil sensors across Nouvelle Alexandrie.

The ICSAT also hosts the National Databank of Toxic Substances, which catalogues thousands of chemical agents, their properties, and associated health risks for use by public agencies and private industry in safety compliance.

Major projects over the years

  • Proyecto Aire Claro - analyzing and monitoring air quality across Nouvelle Alexandrie for pollution control and regulation. Completed in 1696 AN.
  • Proyecto Ch'uya Yaku - studying the long-term effects of waterborne contaminants and improving national filtration technology. Completed in 1700 AN.
  • Proyecto de Sustancias Emergentes - ongoing monitoring of the appearance of new synthetic chemicals in the environment and industry. Started in 1708 AN.
  • Proyecto EcoTox - creating a national database of toxicological profiles for industrial compounds. Completed in 1712 AN.
  • Projet Climat et Santé - analyzing the public health impacts of climate change, with a focus on heatwaves, vector-borne diseases, and extreme weather events. Completed in 1724 AN.
  • Proyecto Aire Claro II - a continuation and technological upgrade of the original project, now integrating satellite data and AI-driven forecasting. Completed in 1736 AN.
  • Proyecto BioRemed - developing bioremediation techniques using microorganisms and plants to neutralize pollutants in contaminated soils and water bodies. Ongoing as of 1740 AN.

Layout

The ICSAT occupies a single mid-sized 2-hectare building in the southern section of Vida Science Park, near the Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research. It consists of one central building with two major wings and one greenhouse annex.

  1. The Central Office acts as the main administrative headquarters, with administrative offices, boardrooms, a public reception hall, and a central auditorium for conferences and symposia.
  2. The Environmental Wing acts as the main research hub, with dedicated preparation labs, wet labs, and cold storage. It has dedicated chemical analysis labs with GC, MS, and spectrophotometry facilities.
  3. The Toxicology Wing is a specialized wing with high-containment labs for the testing of toxic substances, pathogen study, and remediation technology.
  4. The Greenhouse is a small greenhouse used to simulate ecosystems of varying sizes and complexity, with a dedicated phytography lab and remediation testing rooms.

Organization

The ICSAT is overseen by a Director-General, appointed by the Federal Science & Research Council and the Department of Research and Development. It is further structured into three main research divisions, two service departments, and one executive office.

  • Director-General
    • Chief Operating Officer
      • Department of Administration & Finance
      • Department of Laboratory Operations
    • Deputy Director for Research
      • Environmental Science Division
      • Chemical Analysis and Toxicology Division
      • Modelling and Monitoring Division

Support departments manage finance, HR, technical services, IT infrastructure, and public relations. The ICSAT also operates three advisory boards composed of national and international experts:

  1. Ethics and Biosecurity Council
  2. Scientific Advisory Council
  3. National Monitoring Advisory Council

List of (deputy) directors

  1. Dr. Joaquín Herrera Montoya (1692 AN-1708 AN)
  2. Dr. María Consuelo Ordóñez (1708 AN-1721 AN)
  3. Dr. Killa Suyu Amaru (1721 AN-1730 AN)
  4. Dr. Sumac T'ika Huamán (1730 AN-1736 AN)
  5. Dr. Ernesto Valcázar Lira (1736 AN-Present)

Deputy Directors

  1. Dr. Ramón Echeverría (1692 AN-1699 AN)
  2. Dr. Anak Mayu Quispe (1699 AN-1708 AN)
  3. Dr. Gaspard Lefebvre (1708 AN-1714 AN)
  4. Dr. Martín Zúñiga (1714 AN-1719 AN)
  5. Dr. Anacaona Guzmán (1719 AN-1728 AN)
  6. Dr. Sumac T'ika Huamán (1728 AN-1730 AN)
  7. Dr. Santiago Rosales (1730 AN-1736 AN)
  8. Dr. Inés Moreno del Castillo (1736 AN-Present)

See also

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