The use of geographical information systems in studies on environment and health.

Geographical information systems (GIS) provide a powerful technology for the spatial analysis of environmental and health data. Major areas of application include the assessment and mapping of environmental exposure, mapping of health outcome, and the analysis of spatial relationships between environment and health. The use of GIS nevertheless brings with it many potential problems and pitfalls. This article reviews some of the recent applications in relation to studies of environment and health, and examines some of the research issues involved.