Versions of this post appear in both English and Spanish languages below. The science is clear: harmful chemicals in our environment put healthy pregnancies and fetal development at risk. To help health-care professionals and their patients better understand how chemicals affect health—and what they can do about it—UCSF’s Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment … Continue reading 10 ways to avoid toxic chemicals
Versions of this post appear in both English and Spanish languages below. Although phased out about 15 years ago, toxic flame-retardant chemicals, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are still showing up in high levels among pregnant women and their fetuses in California, according to our study published on July 22, 2020, in Scientific Reports. In … Continue reading Yesterday’s flame retardants in today’s bodies
In 2016, after careful analysis, and extensive internal and external peer review, and public comment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded that inhalation of ethylene oxide is “carcinogenic to humans.” Despite no new evidence that would alter EPA’s findings, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) just finalized a dangerously flawed report claiming that … Continue reading Texas ignores dangers of ethylene oxide in flawed report
Congress amended the law that is supposed to protect people from dangerous chemicals. EPA’s current leadership is exploiting the law’s loopholes and making a mockery of it. Four years ago, Congress passed and President Obama signed legislation to amend the nation's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that regulates chemicals in commerce, changes that were 40 … Continue reading TSCA is 4
The current federal administration, in the middle of a pandemic, is pursuing EPA rule changes that could undermine the Agency’s ability to protect public health. Under the guise of “science transparency,” the new rules would allow the EPA to disregard studies that provide the evidence and rationale behind critical regulation such as clean air and … Continue reading EPA’s “transparency” rule undermines its own mission to protect public health
To recognize the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) has partnered with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) to produce a series of infographics for health professionals to communicate with their patients about the adverse impacts of climate change, … Continue reading How climate change and air pollution affect pregnancy and human development
Water fluoridation has been cited as one of the dental field’s most successful interventions to improve dental health. Since 1945, when the United States implemented community water fluoridation, rates of cavities have declined. Also, providing fluoridated tap water to most residents, regardless of income, education, or socioeconomic status, can reduce disparities in dental health. Fluoride … Continue reading Fluoride exposure among pregnant women in California
The question is no longer whether environmental chemical exposures produce adverse health effects in children, but rather which chemicals have the most harmful impact. Fetuses and children are especially susceptible to environmental influences. Scientists and physicians are concerned that over the last 10-30 years, the prevalence of certain childhood diseases has increased, including adverse birth … Continue reading So many chemicals—how do we decide which ones to study?
La importancia de la intencionalidad al incluir poblaciones subrepresentadas en investigaciónes clínicas Las versiones de este post aparecen en Español e Inglés a continuación. The importance of intentionality when including underrepresented populations in clinical research Versions of this post appear in both Spanish and English languages below. Coordinadores de estudios investigativos tienen un papel importante … Continue reading Bridging communities and science
There are an infinite number of ways that the environment affects health, from endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our food supply to warming temperatures driving infectious diseases to new territories. It can feel overwhelming to consider a patient’s environmental exposures during a 20-minute visit, while still learning the basic anatomy of the human body. As medical students … Continue reading UCSF medical students to deans: Prepare us for climate change and environmental hazards
