First, they started the process of rolling back a Biden-era initiative to replace lead pipes. Then they took steps to delay a long-needed rule banning most uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), a chemical linked to cancer. These are just two moves the Trump Administration and Republican-led Congress made in their first weeks that expose people to … Continue reading Advice for a new administration to protect people from toxic chemicals
Tag: Public health
Statement on RFK Jr Confirmation to HHS Secretary
Dr. Tracey J. Woodruff, PhD, professor and director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and the EaRTH Center at UCSF issued the following statement today upon Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We face an epidemic of chronic disease fueled by industrial polluters including the chemical, … Continue reading Statement on RFK Jr Confirmation to HHS Secretary
New Center to End Corporate Harm launches
Health-harming products including fossil fuels, plastics, petrochemicals, tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed foods are contributing to a rise in chronic disease Industries that produce health-harming products have waged a decades-long assault on science and regulations designed to protect health, ultimately rigging rules in their favor, say scientists behind a new Center to End Corporate Harm at … Continue reading New Center to End Corporate Harm launches
Experts urge new administration to adopt guiding principles
To protect health, the Trump administration must cut ties to polluting industries and ensure scientific integrity in decision-making, scientists say. Chronic disease, including cancer, diabetes, and neurological disease, is on the rise, in part driven by exposures to health-harming chemicals from fossil fuels and plastics according to scientists from the UC San Francisco Program on … Continue reading Experts urge new administration to adopt guiding principles
Safeguarding health from industry influence
Research is essential. But the research we hear about does not always reveal the truth. Why? Because internal industry documents show that numerous industries knew and hid the harms of their products – from tobacco to toxic chemicals – for decades. Not only that, industry also manufactures science and sways public policy to favour their … Continue reading Safeguarding health from industry influence
Tracey J. Woodruff testifies before Congress
PRHE’s Director, Dr. Tracey Woodruff, testified before Congress on Oct 18, 2023 at a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials on EPA's efforts to regulate ethylene oxide (EtO). She was one of four witnesses at the hearing; two were CEOs of the country's largest chemical companies and … Continue reading Tracey J. Woodruff testifies before Congress
Keeping PRHE running smoothly
PRHE’s success and effectiveness is not just due to our scientists, but also because we have a team that includes the best in making organizations be their best. Meet members of our Operations Team who work behind the scenes to support and grow our mission: Alana D’Aleo provides general operating support to PRHE and is … Continue reading Keeping PRHE running smoothly
OMB’s draft Circular A-4 falls short on equity
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
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”?











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