CRAs can help EPA more accurately estimate risks from toxic chemical exposures

When a nail salon worker heads home after work, she’s probably carrying more than her paycheck. She is also carrying phthalates — a class of toxic chemicals that contaminates people via nail polish, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, plastics, and food. One nail salon worker is exposed to multiple chemicals from many different sources, yet regulators like EPA typically evaluate chemicals for risk one chemical at a time and one exposure at a time, an approach that fails to reflect real-world exposures.