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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

  • MMWRHeat-Related Deaths
    Heat-related illnesses can occur when high ambient temperatures overcome the body's natural ability to dissipate heat ...more
  • AflatoxicosisAflatoxicosis in Kenya
    Aflatoxin is a fungal toxin that contaminates maize and other types of crops during production, harvest, storage or processing ...more
  • Chemical EmergenciesChemical Emergencies
    Specific chemical agents, information for professionals and general public ...more
  • About the Program
    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Health Studies Program 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
  • Chemicals
    The release of a chemical weapon of mass destruction (WMD) could result in hundreds or thousands of casualties, and the source of the release likely would be obvious to public health officials. However, the source of an accidental chemical release, or the hidden, intentional contamination of food or drinking water, would be more difficult to identify. Various programs at CDC work to detect, respond to, and prevent human illness caused by a chemical release ...more
  • Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
    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
  • Disaster Epidemiology and Assessment
    Provides information on in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a natural or technologic disaster ...more
  • Extreme Weather Conditions
    Provides information on in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from exposures to severe weather such as extreme heat and cold and to hazards related to natural disasters ...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
  • Noise
    An increasing public health problem, noise can have adverse health effects such as hearing loss; sleep disturbances; cardiovascular and psychophysiologic problems; performance reduction; annoyance responses; and adverse social behaviors ...more
  • Pesticides
    Human exposure to pesticides occurs primarily through dietary residues, outdoor pesticide exposure (gardening and lawn applications), indoor pesticide exposure (including tracking in outdoor pesticides), occupational exposures (pest control applicators and farm workers), and the use of pesticides on domestic animals, including pets. Exposure to pesticides that results from natural disasters or terrorism also poses a threat to public health ...more
  • U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Issues
    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

Other Environmental Hazards & Health Effects Topics