Quantitative risk assessments underpin most of our federal regulations related to chemicals. Therefore, it is important to understand how and why risk assessments can go astray. Risk assessment brings together concepts of hazard (the potential for a chemical to result in an adverse health outcome, such as carcinogenicity) and exposure. Combining multiple sources of information … Continue reading How and why to close the exposure assessment gap
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is currently developing a critical update to its guidance on analysis of benefits and costs of federal regulations, known as Circular A-4. This guidance, which hasn’t been revised since it was issued in 2003, can have a major impact on the extent of public health protections in a … Continue reading OMB’s draft Circular A-4 falls short on equity
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
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
What harmful chemicals are in pregnant people and how do they get there? How are chemical exposures during pregnancy linked to future health problems in mothers and babies? How can we reduce toxic chemicals in our homes and environment? These are the questions the DREAM Study seeks to answer, and we need your help! … Continue reading Pregnant? Contribute to a healthier future and join the DREAM study!
PRHE’s Dr. Nicholas Chartres wrote the following response to media coverage on ultra-processed foods. What if I said that if you are eating a diet of high or ultra-processed food from packets, filled with chemicals, you have a significantly higher risk of dying younger from heart disease or cancer? Pretty scary, huh? Well, in the … Continue reading Highly processed foods: recipe for disease?
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