Photo by: Pixabay user deepakrit
Putting the latest scientific research to work in order to reduce harmful chemicals, inform decisions, and transition the marketplace to healthier alternatives.
Consumer Products
From laser printers to the chair you’re sitting on, everyday products can hold chemicals that are potentially dangerous.
E-Cigarettes & Health
Harvard Chan researchers found chemicals linked with severe respiratory disease in common e-cigarette flavors.
Flame Retardants
Flame retardant chemicals found in many commercial products can damage brain development, hormones, and reproductive systems.
Pregnancy & Early Childhood
During pregnancy, exposure to certain chemical pollutants can create major health problems for both mother and fetus.
Workplace Chemicals
Chemicals in the workplace can have a direct impact on your health—and even the health of your family.
Firefighters' gear may contain toxic chemicals
These "forever chemicals" don't degrade easily and are linked to cancer, low birth weights, diabetes, reduced fertility, and immune system suppression.
Flame Retardant Chemicals in College Dormitories
We found high levels of toxic flame retardant cheicals in college dormitories, raising health concerns.
Flame Retardants and Thyroid Problems in Women
Women with elevated levels of common types of flame retardant chemicals in their blood may be at a higher risk for thyroid disease—and the risk may be significantly higher among post-menopausal women.
E-Cigarettes and Lung Disease
Chemicals linked with severe respiratory disease found in common e-cigarette flavors.
Occupational Exposures to New Dry Cleaning Solvents
This study explores the impact of common dry cleaning solvents on workers' health.
Lessons Learned from Surface Wipe Sampling for Lead in Three Workplaces
Insights to protect workers and their families from exposure to lead.
Data Science Webinar
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This pesticide is closely related to nerve agents used in World War II. Trump’s EPA doesn’t care.
The Trump administration's decision to lift a ban petition for a dangerous pesticide has serious health implications.
‘Toxic Stew’ Stirred Up by Disasters Poses Long-Term Danger, New Findings Show
The toxic substances released into our water and air during natural disasters “are much more long-lasting and ubiquitous than I think people realize,” says our Director Gina McCarthy.
Flight attendants keep getting sick. It’s likely because of their uniforms.
Everyday chemicals are everywhere, even in some clothing. What do you do when you're required to wear a uniform that makes you sick? Harvard Chan School's Eileen McNeely weighs in.
Marking 50 years since the Cuyahoga River fire, which sparked US environmental action
Gina McCarthy on waterway pollution and the science that we need to protect us from the invisible chemicals from industrial waste.
Pushing Policy for Polishes
Although it is encouraging to see nail polish products eliminating some chemicals of concern, many challenges remain when nail technicians or consumers want to choose safer nail polishes.
Shedding light on climate change’s threats to health
Gina McCarthy wants to get the word out that climate change is more than just “a distant issue”—that it’s a very real threat to public health right now. In a wide-ranging March 21, 2019 interview with Medscape, McCarthy, director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) at Harvard T.H. Chan School…
Many U.S. schools aren't testing drinking water for lead
A new report finds that many schools in the U.S. are not testing their water for lead.
Are You Bringing Toxic Chemicals Home from Work?
Some types of work create lead dust that is invisible to the naked eye, and has no smell. Even though you can’t see it, the dust attaches to your clothing, skin, hair, and personal belongings, and you take this dust home with you if you don't wash or separate your clothing before leaving work.
Tracking mystery fluorochemicals in the environment
Widely used fluorinated chemical compounds called “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” or PFASs, are found in rivers, soils, and in people’s bloodstreams around the world, and some have been linked with a range of health problems, including cancer. Scientists say there may be hundreds of these compounds currently in use, and they’re working to determine how…
Aaron Bernstein MD, MPH
Aaron examines the human health effects of global environmental changes with the aim of promoting a deeper understanding of these subjects among students, educators, policy makers, and the public.
