When a nail salon worker heads home after work, she’s probably carrying more than her paycheck. She is also carrying phthalates — a class of toxic chemicals that contaminates people via nail polish, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, plastics, and food. One nail salon worker is exposed to multiple chemicals from many different sources, yet regulators like … Continue reading CRAs can help EPA more accurately estimate risks from toxic chemical exposures
Author: PRHE
Makers of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ covered up the dangers
Widely used in clothing, household products and food, they resist breaking down in the environment The chemical industry took a page out of the tobacco playbook when they discovered and suppressed their knowledge of health harms caused by exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), according to an analysis of previously secret industry documents by … Continue reading Makers of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ covered up the dangers
EPA moves to further limit deadly methylene chloride
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
Briefing Capitol Hill on why EPA must use best available science
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
PFAS linked to lower birthweight
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
Microplastics? More like macro-problem
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
It’s time to regulate chemicals as classes
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
Are “safe” exposure levels really “safe”?
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”?
With chemicals that can harm you, one size does not fit all
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
The weak link: gaps in exposure assessments
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
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