Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact of the environment on human health. EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its content is free online. Print issues are available by paid subscription.DISCLAIMER
Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research
In 1998, recognizing that exposure to hazardous environmental conditions can be particularly detrimental to the health of children, the NIEHS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated the Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research program. This highly successful program promotes the translation of basic research findings into applied intervention and prevention methods. In the past five years, researchers have discovered that
blood and urine specimens from pregnant women show measurable levels of pesticides, which means that the fetus is exposed to these chemicals during early development;
children in urban and rural environments are exposed to a complex mix of agricultural and household pesticides, environmental tobacco smoke, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that, in combination with social factors, can impact their early growth;
exposures to lead in the urban environment can have life-long effects such as behavioral problems and criminal behavior in adulthood;
exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls can affect cochlear function, which may cause hearing loss in early life;
air pollution can cause inflammation in the lung, and its effects can be seen in school-age children as exacerbation of asthma symptoms and more days absent from school; and
asthma symptoms in children can be reduced by reducing allergens from dust mites and cockroaches in the home.
The NIEHS and the EPA announce the continuation of funding for six centers and the start of one new center. There are also four existing centers. The research at these centers includes toxicological, epidemiological, exposure assessment, genetics, and community-based participatory methods to address pressing questions related to children's susceptibility and exposure to harmful environmental agents and their health consequences. There are close ties with community organizations that assist in the dissemination of research findings to the community. The program also includes opportunities to develop new and creative strategies to inform health care practitioners, policy makers, and the public about environmental health concerns relevant to children.
A new scientific management team has been assembled at the NIEHS to oversee this program. The scientific program administrators for this effort include Kim Gray, PhD (gray6@niehs.nih.gov); Cindy Lawler, PhD (lawler@niehs.nih.gov); and Shobha Srinivasan, PhD (sriniva2@niehs.nih.gov). The team leader is Gwen Collman, PhD (collman@niehs.nih.gov).