Each of the elements required to create a healthy baby--genetics, the anatomy of the male and female reproductive system, the processes by which eggs and sperm are produced, the processes by which the embryo is created and implanted, maternal health during pregnancy, and embryonic/fetal growth and development--is vulnerable to damage by…

Biomonitoring is a public health tool that has been used by scientists and researchers for decades to test blood, bone, urine, hair, human milk, adipose tissue, and other body substances for the presence of toxic chemicals, in order to assess what is called the "chemical body burden." Biomonitoring helps to: (1) identify which chemicals…

Emerging research suggests that exposure to environmental pollutants, prenatally and in early childhood, may contribute significantly to diseases and disabilities. For example, exposures to mercury or lead early in life can impact the nervous system and brain, potentially contributing to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. The…

Children and adults in communities of color and low-income communities face disproportionately high exposures to environmental hazards and, consequently, greater risk of experiencing adverse health impacts from these exposures. Almost two thirds of children under 6 with elevated blood lead levels are children of color living in disadvantaged…