About the Program
CDC's Environmental Hazards and Health Effects Program (EHHE) promotes
health and quality of life by preventing or controlling diseases or
deaths that result from interactions between people and their
environment ...more
Focus Areas
Air
Pollution and Respiratory Health
The Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Program (APRHB) leads CDC’s
fight against environmental-related respiratory illnesses, including
asthma, and studies indoor and outdoor air pollution ...more
Asthma
Asthma is a serious environmental health threat, but it can be
controlled by taking medication and by avoiding contact with
environmental "triggers" such as dust mites, furry pets, mold, tobacco
smoke, and certain chemicals. CDC works with state grantees to reduce
the number of deaths, hospitalizations, emergency department visits,
school days or workdays missed, and limitations on activity due to
asthma ...more
Cancer
Clusters
A cancer cluster is a greater-than-expected number of cancer cases
that occurs within a group of people in a geographic area over a
period of time. CDC provides cancer cluster information and resources,
responds to inquiries about cancer clusters, and works with state
health departments to address public health concerns about potential
cancer clusters ...more
Carbon Monoxide
CDC works with national and state data sources to monitor, evaluate,
and present information on carbon-monoxide-related illness and death
in the U.S ...more
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are agricultural
facilities that house and feed a large number of animals in a confined
area for 45 days or more during any 12-month period. CDC is working
with states to define routes of exposure and potential human health
effects from exposures to wastes and residues from confined animal
feeding operations ...more
Environmental Public Health Indicators
Environmental public health indicators (EPHIs) can be used to assess
our health status or risk as it relates to our environment. They may
be used to assess baseline status and trends, track program goals and
objectives, and build core surveillance capacity in state and local
agencies ...more
Environmental Public Health Tracking
Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) is the ongoing collection,
integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data on
environmental hazards, exposures to those hazards, and health effects
that may be related to the exposures. The goal of tracking is to
provide information that can be used to plan, apply, and evaluate
actions to prevent and control environmentally related diseases ...more
FEMA Trailer Study
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to concerns about air quality in FEMA temporary housing units ...more
Harmful Algal Blooms
CDC is supporting surveillance programs, epidemiologic studies, and
laboratory research to further define the relation between exposure to
organisms involved in harmful algal blooms, such as Pfiesteria
piscicida, and human illness ...more
Health Studies
CDC investigates the human health effects of exposure to environmental
hazards ranging from chemical pollutants to natural, technologic, or
terrorist disasters. The results are used to develop, implement, and
evaluate strategies for preventing or reducing harmful exposures ...more
Mold
CDC provides information on mold and health, an inventory of state
indoor air quality programs, advice on assessment, cleanup efforts,
and prevention of mold growth, and links to resources ...more
Radiation
Studies
CDC identifies potentially harmful environmental exposures to ionizing
radiation and associated toxicants, conducts energy-related health
research, and responds to protect the public’s health in the event of
an emergency involving radiation or radioactive materials ...more
US-Mexico Border Environmental Health
CDC identifies environmental health issues, trains and develops human
resources, and conducts environmental epidemiologic research in the
U.S.-Mexico border area ...more
Water-Related Environmental
Public Health
CDC is working to identify, investigate, and track health hazards
associated with water, measure exposure of people to these hazards,
and prevent health effects from these hazards ...more
