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Assessing Environmental Health Disparities in Vulnerable Groups: Interactions Between Chemical Stressors and Social Factors That Impact Children’s Health and Development
EPA announced the availability of the final report, "Assessing Environmental Health Disparities in Vulnerable Groups: Interactions Between Chemical Stressors and Social Factors That Impact Children’s Health and Development".
Citation:
Beasley, T., J. Dye, D. Freeborn, D. Herr, Andy Johnstone, Prasada Rao Kodavanti, U. Kodavanti, Chris Lau, Kathy McDaniel, D. Macmillan, J. McGee, C. Miller, W. Oshiro, Mette C Schladweiler, M. Valdez, AND S. Vulimiri. Assessing Environmental Health Disparities in Vulnerable Groups: Interactions Between Chemical Stressors and Social Factors That Impact Children’s Health and Development. U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-23/101, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This final report summarizes research conducted to investigate how non-chemical stressors may modify responses to chemical exposures leading to untoward changes in susceptible and vulnerable subpopulations, with a focus on children. The objectives of the research were to provide new information responsive to the needs of public health officials in optimizing their community environments and developing sound strategies to improve children’s health and mitigate health disparities.
Description:
This report highlights the salient findings from SHC products contributed by a team of ORD investigators from PHITD and CPAD of CPHEA, CCED of CCTE, and ORISE. The SHC research focused on the influences of maternal exposure to chemical and non-chemical stressors, and their interactions on health and development of the offspring, with a laboratory animal model. The chemicals evaluated were manganese in drinking water and ozone in air, and the non-chemical stressors were maternal obesity and maternal psychosocial stress. In addition, current understanding of prenatal chemical exposure and the risk of childhood cancer, as well as involvement of epigenetics as a mechanism of developmental toxicity were reviewed and analyzed.
Results of our studies were summarized in 20 papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Collectively, our findings provide new information for public health officials and community leaders to improve environments and develop sound strategies for children’s healthy development, and to mitigate health disparities derived from exposures to environmental pollution.