EPA today issued a proposed rule that would further limit the deadly chemical methylene chloride, proposing to ban the use of methylene chloride for all consumer uses and most industrial uses. EPA says the banned uses account for 52% of current methylene chloride production. In response, Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, former EPA senior scientist and … Continue reading EPA moves to further limit deadly methylene chloride
The PRHE team went to Washington, DC last week to brief lawmakers and policy staff on how EPA can use best available science to improve the way it evaluates chemicals for potential human health harm for the Agency to better protect health, communities, and the environment. Moderated by Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, MPH, PRHE’s director, UCSF … Continue reading Briefing Capitol Hill on why EPA must use best available science
The largest study to date to examine the role of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in birth outcomes reveals widespread exposure to five PFAS in pregnant women and lower birthweight among those with higher PFAS levels. Published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, the study involved more than 3,000 pregnant participants from 11 different … Continue reading PFAS linked to lower birthweight
Take a moment to look at the space you’re in and see just how many plastic items surround you. They might be the container holding the fruit you’re snacking on, the plastic bag with your laundry quarters, or the lid of your water bottle. What you might not see is the plastic you are eating; … Continue reading Microplastics? More like macro-problem
A couple of years ago I went to a wool and sheep festival where, for the first time, I watched dogs herd sheep. They were so smart and efficient, one dog handled dozens of sheep! Regulatory agencies should take a similar approach: chemicals, as sheep, should be assessed and their risk managed by groups. There … Continue reading It’s time to regulate chemicals as classes
Health risk assessment is the method that regulators use to determine whether chemicals in the environment pose a risk to people’s health and how much exposure to the chemical produces these effects. Unfortunately, current human health risk assessments don’t capture everyone’s risk level. Our recent paper, Application of Probabilistic Methods to Address Variability and Uncertainty … Continue reading Are “safe” exposure levels really “safe”?
When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates chemical risks, it assumes for the most part that we are all the same. Or, rather, that some of us might be a little bit more sensitive than others. Ten times more sensitive, to be specific. But that’s not exactly true. When it comes to chemicals in … Continue reading With chemicals that can harm you, one size does not fit all
Protecting the public from the most concerning environmental chemicals and contaminants involves many individual steps. For example, when an agency like the US EPA or FDA evaluates a chemical used in consumer products, they want to evaluate: the hazards associated with that chemical, how that chemical causes harm, how much of the chemical is released … Continue reading The weak link: gaps in exposure assessments
The problem: Atmospheric rivers in California. Deadly snow in New York. Devastating floods in Pakistan. Drought and famine in Africa. The fallout from climate change is here and no one is immune. And this crisis, driven by fossil fuel use, is seriously affecting women’s health, pregnancy, and reproductive care, physicians and scientists say. Special … Continue reading Code OB: Urgent action on climate and toxic chemicals needed
As Chemicals Proliferate in the Environment, a Science-Based Approach Is Needed to Protect Human Health With chemical production and use on the rise, and continued evidence that many chemicals in everyday products are linked to health problems such as cancer, infertility, and neurodevelopmental conditions, an interdisciplinary group of scientific experts said changes are urgently needed … Continue reading Scientists recommend changes to chemical regulatory process
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