Welcome to PRHE

Our mission is to create a healthier environment for human reproduction and development through advancing scientific inquiry, clinical care and health policies that prevent exposures to harmful chemicals in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

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Turning our science into action

Research

PRHE conducts groundbreaking, multi-disciplinary research that answers important questions of how chemicals and contaminants in our homes and environment affect fertility, pregnancy, and fetal and child development.

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Policy

PRHE identifies and communicates how science should be used in policymaking to protect health and is a leading scientific voice on EPA’s problematic implementation of the updated Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

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Education and Communications

PRHE is a leader in connecting the environment to pregnancy, prenatal health, and women’s health and works with major medical organizations to issue guidance on reducing chemical use and preventing harmful exposures.

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Latest News

Common PFAS Chemicals Linked to Cancers in Women

HealthDaySeptember 19, 2023News

Harmful "forever" chemicals are widespread in the environment, and new research hints they pose a particular health risk to women.

‘Forever chemical’ exposure linked to higher cancer odds in women

The GuardianSeptember 18, 2023News

Women exposed to several widely used chemicals appear to face increased odds for ovarian and other types of cancers, including a doubling of odds for melanoma, according to new research funded by the US government.

Certain common chemicals associated with higher odds of cancer in women

The New LedeSeptember 18, 2023News

Women exposed to several widely used chemicals appear to face increased odds for ovarian and other certain types of cancers, including a doubling of odds for melanoma, according to new research funded by the US government.

Exposure to PFAS chemicals doubles the odds of a prior cancer diagnosis in women

September 18, 2023Press Release

A new study shows a clear association between exposure to certain PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) and phenol (including BPA) chemicals and a previous cancer diagnosis in women from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study was conducted by researchers in NIEHS-funded P30 centers from UC San Francisco (UCSF), University of Southern California (USC), and University of Michigan.

Researchers Tout ‘Non-Targeted’ Study To Analyze Data-Poor Chemicals

Inside EPASeptember 18, 2023News

Academics including a former EPA scientist are touting what they say is a novel study that used non-targeted analysis (NTA) to identify previously untested chemicals and show at least “potential” links to health harms in pregnant women -- a step they say shows that the discipline could aid research on data-poor chemicals, a persistent hurdle for TSCA.

In our blood: how the US allowed toxic chemicals to seep into our lives

The GuardianSeptember 13, 2023News

For decades, it was the secret behind the magic show of homemaking across the US. Applied to a pan, it could keep a fried egg from sticking to the surface. Soaked into a carpet, it could shrug off spills of red wine. Sprayed onto shoes and coats, it could keep the kids dry on a rainy day.

Academics Say Draft Cumulative Risk Guide Falls Short Of TSCA Standards

Inside EPAAugust 31, 2023News

A coalition of academics that includes former EPA scientists says the agency’s long-awaited draft guide for crafting cumulative risk assessments (CRAs) examining the combined dangers of chemical hazards and other health stressors does not meet TSCA’s “best available science” standard and must be rewritten to be fit for regulatory use.

Environmentalists Push Strict PCE Bans To Protect Fenceline Communities

Inside EPAAugust 28, 2023News

Environmentalists and their allies are pressing EPA to tighten its proposed TSCA risk-management rule for perchloroethylene (PCE) in part by banning more uses of the solvent or even phasing it out entirely, arguing the current approach that focuses on worker-safety measures fails to protect fenceline communities from exposure.

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