Today we enjoy the birth of a new publication the “Journal of Environment & Health Sciences” (JEHS) a journal with international standards-peer reviewed-open access- research publication. This journal is the fruit of a hard labor enterprise that began a year ago to release a scientific publication meant to offer “a platform for articles from the interface of environmental issues and health sciences”. I have firsthand witnessed the birth of this journal as I was contacted and convinced to join the Editorial Board. I was gladly surprised by the ethics and philosophy of the planners of the journal. I know (as a founder of a scientific journal that nowadays is deceased), the difficulties and labor involved in the starting years of a scientific journal. Therefore, when I became aware of the launching of the first issue, and then when I review the quality and broadness of the articles included in this first issue I was again happily shocked!.

  The first article enlisted in this number studied the presence of heavy metals after irrigation with wastewater in an experimental garden of GurukulaKangri University in Haridwar, India for one year and their effects on soil and black gram (Vignamungo). Authors concluded that this water can be used as a bio-fertigant for black gram with adequate dilutions^[1].

  The second contribution is an anlysis of natural radioactivity present in building materials in Pachal, Tamilnadu, India. There was concern by the authors that radium-equivalent activity (Ra_eq) of local raw materials, have values below those of international standards. However, the estimation of potential radiological hazard showed that the local materials are safe for use in buildings^[2].

  The third research article comes from Maine, USA and deals with a very interesting issue: the role of contaminants in increasing autism incidence. The author urge physicians to include information on exposure and avoidance of environmental neurotoxins when counseling patients and parents as a tool to decrease autism incidence^[3].

  The first volume is completed with an editorial and a short communication both of them nicely written and quite informative. Therefore, today more than ever I am proud of being part of this enterprise called JEHS and I look forward to actively participate as a member of the editorial boards in many more future volumes to come! Congratulations to all in Ommega Publishers and to Dr. Steven S. Coughlin (our Editor in Chief).

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