Category: Guest Contributor

Industrial farms, pregnancy, and public health: what we found in California

~ PRHE

If you’ve ever driven along I-5 through the California Central Valley, you likely detected an acrid stench that permeates the air. The noxious odor comes from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), industrial-scale meat and dairy production facilities that confine large numbers of animals. The manure waste generated by these animals – thousands to millions of … Continue reading Industrial farms, pregnancy, and public health: what we found in California

What heat, pollution and rising energy demand mean for reproductive health

~ PRHE

Investigating climate change impacts on reproductive health reveals a minefield of urgent questions: How do heat and pollution affect fetal development? What role do endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as microplastics and PFAS, play in infertility? Why have fecundity and fertility declined over the last 40 years, and could climate-related exposures be contributing factors? In “Climate Change … Continue reading What heat, pollution and rising energy demand mean for reproductive health

Everyday chemicals detected in the womb

~ PRHE

The fluid that surrounds a baby during pregnancy does more than cushion and protect. Amniotic fluid reflects what a developing fetus is exposed to in the womb, offering a direct snapshot of both fetal metabolic processes and the prenatal environment. Yet despite its importance, scientists have rarely studied it for environmental chemicals.  In our new study, … Continue reading Everyday chemicals detected in the womb

New clues on how PFAS may disrupt placental function

~ PRHE

A new study from UC San Francisco, published yesterday in Environmental Science & Technology, provides clues to how PFAS may contribute to pregnancy complications and adverse developmental outcomes.  Forever chemicals such as PFOA and other PFAS contaminate drinking water supplies across the United States, are detected in the blood of nearly all pregnant women, and … Continue reading New clues on how PFAS may disrupt placental function

Plastic chemicals and microplastic exposures must be reduced to protect children’s brains

~ PRHE

The following is a guest blog from Project TENDR. Action is urgently needed to safeguard children’s developing brains from microplastics and plastic-related chemicals say scientists and health professionals from across the U.S. who are part of Project TENDR, a coalition working to protect children from toxic chemicals that can contribute to problems with learning, attention, and … Continue reading Plastic chemicals and microplastic exposures must be reduced to protect children’s brains

EPA’s draft evaluation of D4 ignores real-world risks

~ PRHE

You may not have heard of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (known as D4), but we can guarantee you have probably come into contact with it. Used in products from adhesives and automotive care products to cosmetics, hair treatments, and deodorants, regulators in Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have determined that D4 can pose reproductive and … Continue reading EPA’s draft evaluation of D4 ignores real-world risks

EPA’s proposed changes to its formaldehyde risk evaluation echo chemical industry demands

~ PRHE

Main Takeaways: EPA sidelines chronic health risks of formaldehyde in a revised formaldehyde risk evaluation. The revisions represent a blow to the federal government’s ability to regulate formaldehyde and protect workers and others exposed to the hazardous chemical. While EPA maintains that formaldehyde still presents an overall “unreasonable risk” to human health, the Agency’s revisions … Continue reading EPA’s proposed changes to its formaldehyde risk evaluation echo chemical industry demands

Advisors tell EPA to act on plastic pollution to benefit kids’ health

~ PRHE

The US EPA Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee (CHPAC) summarized the science on plastic pollution and children's health and made recommendations to the Agency that are a wake-up call on the health impacts of plastic pollution.  The majority of committee members found “…the science is clear that plastic pollution can harm children’s health and raise risks of … Continue reading Advisors tell EPA to act on plastic pollution to benefit kids’ health

Scientists unite on how to protect children from toxic contributors to autism

~ PRHE ~ 1 Comment

The following is a guest blog from Project TENDR. Autism is a complex neurological disorder with multiple causes; vaccines are not one of them. There is ample evidence that many toxic chemicals, including air pollution, pesticides, and plastics chemicals, are dangerous to children’s brains. If the current administration wants to address neurological disorders including autism, … Continue reading Scientists unite on how to protect children from toxic contributors to autism

Rising waters and rising risks in Richmond

Photo credit: Richmond Shoreline Alliance. Source: https://www.richmondshorelinealliance.org/
~ PRHE

Main takeaways: Sea level rise is raising risks of harmful chemical exposures in shoreline communities like Richmond, CA These risks are falling disproportionately on communities already hard hit by contamination and pollution  One of those risks is increase in exposure to VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which enter buildings and can increase cancer risk  The Richmond … Continue reading Rising waters and rising risks in Richmond