Draft of proposed op-ed article by Barbara Warren, MD, MPH and Eve Shapiro, MD Read more »

Taking a page from the tobacco industry's playbook, the chemical industry attempts to cast doubt on the legitimate, peer-reviewed research that indicts toxic chemicals, and then pressures the government so that any action be taken with such deliberation that nothing ever happens. It is up to the public to fight back. The more people know about these "bad actors," the more they will insist that California’s Green Chemistry program be strong enough to phase out these chemicals quickly and replace them with safer products or processes. Read more »

Despite recent advances in medicine, the incidence of adverse birth outcomes appears to be rising across the United States. A growing body of literature contends that adverse birth outcomes are a result of harmful environmental exposures. Read more »

PSR has joined with the American Public Health Association, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, the National Environmental Health Association, and Trust for America’s Health to send a letter to U.S. Senators opposing Murkowski’s resolution. The January 19, 2010, letter affirmed that global warming will have grave public health consequences, citing the “increased likelihood of more frequent and intense heat waves, more wildfires, degraded air quality, more flooding, increased drought, more intense storms, harm to water resources and harm to agriculture.” Read more »

Every day, pregnant women are exposed to toxic substances that can be harmful to their babies. Potential effects include physical defects, learning disabilities, and other disorders. This pamphlet suggests some easy things you can do to protect your baby’s health. Read more »

Industrial chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, lead from water supply pipes, water disinfection by-products, and pathogens from human and animal waste can all end up in drinking water, with adverse health outcomes ranging from acute diarrheal disease to long-term effects including neurological, developmental, and reproductive effects and even cancer. The interaction of unique physiologic, pharmacokinetic, and exposure factors for pregnant women, fetuses, infants, and children make these populations especially susceptible to certain waterborne contaminants. Read more »

The U. S. chemicals management system is broken. It fails to protect human health from hazardous chemicals adequately because it lacks mandatory safety requirements before a chemical can gain access to market. Read more »

How you can enjoy the benefits of seafood, while making smart choices to lower the risks of pollution. Read more »

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed by uranium and radium in rocks and soil. Most radon seeps into the air of buildings through sump holes, floor drains, cinderblocks, dirt floors, and cracks in foundations and concrete floors. However, radon can also enter homes via the drinking water supply. Groundwater dissolves radon from uranium-containing rock, resulting in generally higher concentrations of radon in well water compared with drinking water derived from surface waters, such as rivers and lakes. Read more »

Pesticides pose a health threat not only because of their toxicity, but also because of their widespread use in the U.S. There are now about 21,000 registered pesticide products, with almost 900 active ingredients. In a typical year, about 1.2 billion pounds of conventional pesticides and other chemicals are used in the U.S. for pest control in agriculture, residences, industrial, and commercial settings. As a result of their extensive use over the last half-century, pesticides are ubiquitous in our environment, and human exposure is virtually inevitable. Drinking water can be a significant source of chronic pesticide exposure, especially in agricultural regions where large quantities of pesticides are used. Read more »