Brochures & Fact Sheets

Acrylamide is a chemical widely used during the manufacturing of paper, dye, and other industrial products. It can also be formed when certain foods are cooked at high temperatures. Frying, baking, or roasting certain foods, such as potatoes or grains, can create acrylamide. French fries and potato chips, for example, may have measurable acrylamide levels. Acrylamide is also found in cigarette smoke.

Farmers have a higher risk for developing some cancers, including prostate cancer. Gloves Matter! Use of chemically resistant gloves can reduce pesticide exposure 50-80%.

Climate change endangers human health, affecting all sectors of society, both domestically and globally. The environmental consequences of climate change, both those already observed and those that are anticipated, such as sea-level rise, changes in precipitation resulting in flooding and drought, heat waves, more intense hurricanes and storms, and degraded air quality, will affect human health both directly and indirectly

There is abundant evidence that human activities are altering the earth’s climate and that climate change will have significant health impacts both domestically and globally. While all of the changes associated with this process are not predetermined, the actions we take today will certainly help to shape our environment in the decades to come.

Aloe is a succulent plant widely used in alternative medicine. There are at least 420 different plant species of Aloe. Aloe vera specifically refers to the Aloe barbadensis Miller plant, which is the most common form used in Aloe-based products.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is widely distributed in the Earth’s crust. It is found in water, air, food, and soil. There are two general forms of arsenic — organic and inorganic. Inorganic arsenic, which affects the drinking water of millions of people worldwide, has been shown to be a human carcinogen.

Aristolochic acids are a family of acids found naturally in the plants Aristolochia and Asarum, which grow throughout the United States and worldwide.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil. Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos has been used in many materials produced for building or home construction, particularly if they were manufactured prior to 1980, such as shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, and attic and pipe insulation. If these materials are broken, crushed, or disturbed, the asbestos fibers may be released into the air and become a health hazard. High exposures to asbestos may occur during demolition and rebuilding.

Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lung. This inflammatory process can occur along the entire airway from the nose to the lung. Once the airway becomes swollen and inflamed, it becomes narrower, and less air gets through to the lung tissue. This causes symptoms like wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing. During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways tighten up and the asthma symptoms become even worse than usual.

Research has shown that environmental factors likely play a role in autism. Studies also indicate that genetics contribute to the disorder. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) supports research to discover how the environment may influence autism. This important environmental research offers real promise for prevention — because you can’t change your genes, but you can change your environment.

Autoimmune diseases result from a dysfunction of the immune system. The immune system protects you from disease and infection. Sometimes, though, the immune system can produce autoantibodies that attack healthy cells, tissues, and organs. This can lead to autoimmune disease.

Bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA, is a chemical widely used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.

For millions of women whose lives have been affected by breast cancer, the 1994 discovery of the first breast cancer gene by researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and their collaborators, was a welcome sign of progress in the fight against this disease.

Desde mediados del siglo XX, la electricidad ha formado parte esencial de nuestras vidas. La electricidad suministra energía para nuestros electrodomésticos, equipos de oficina y un sinnúmero de otros dispositivos que usamos para que la vida sea más segura, más fácil y más interesante.
Electric and Magnetic Fields Associated with the Use of Electric Power: Questions and Answers (Spanish Version)

This booklet was created by scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in response to many public requests for information.

Given that about 12 percent of cancers worldwide are linked to viruses, and there are no vaccines available for any of these five viruses, prevention is critical for reducing potential cancer risks.

NIEHS offers a variety of targeted Career Development Awards to provide support and time for an intense career development experience in the environmental health sciences.

Personal (cellular) telecommunications is a rapidly evolving technology that uses radiofrequency energy or radiation for mobile communication.

Glass wool fibers are synthetic or man-made, very small finely spun fibers of glass that form a mass resembling wool. There is considerable variation in the properties of individual fibers within this class, depending on the manufacturing process and end use. They are commonly used for insulation or filtration.

NIEHS is committed to understanding how the environment affects a child’s health and development. Researchers across the country are discovering that certain chemicals, pollutants, foods, and activities can be more harmful to a fetus and children than to adults.

Cobalt is a naturally occurring metallic element that can be present in different forms. It is mixed with other metals to make cemented carbides, bonded diamonds, and alloys that can be used to make durable industrial products, such as military and industrial equipment.

Dioxins are mainly byproducts of industrial practices. They are produced through a variety of incineration processes, including improper municipal waste incineration and burning of trash, and can be released into the air during natural processes, such as forest fires and volcanoes. Almost every living creature has been exposed to dioxins or dioxin-like compounds (DLCs).

Since the mid-twentieth century, electricity has been an essential part of our lives. Electricity powers our appliances, office equipment, and countless other devices that we use to make life safer, easier, and more interesting. Use of electric power is something we take for granted.

Endocrine disruptors are naturally occurring compounds or man-made substances that may mimic or interfere with the function of hormones in the body. Endocrine disruptors may turn on, shut off, or modify signals that hormones carry, which may affect the normal functions of tissues and organs.

El aire, el agua, el sol, el polvo, las plantas y los animales, las sustancias quimicas y los metales de nuestro mundo… Sustentan la vida.
Environmental Diseases From A to Z (Spanish Version)

They support life. They make it beautiful and fun. But, as wonderful as they are... They can also make some people sick.

These guidelines are the product of a new Pediatric Asthma Initiative aimed at integrating environmental management of asthma into pediatric health care. This document outlines competencies in environmental health relevant to pediatric asthma that should be mastered by primary health care providers, and outlines the environmental interventions that should be communicated to patients.

NIEHS offers a variety of Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowships. These fellowship awards support full-time research training for predoctoral and postdoctoral students, as well as experienced scientists wishing to broaden their scientific background.

Flame retardants are chemicals that are added or applied to materials in order to slow or prevent the start or growth of fire.

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical widely used by industry to make home building products. It is a colorless gas at room temperature, or available as a liquid called formalin.

Ginkgo or Ginkgo biloba is one of the world’s oldest living tree species. Ginkgo has been used for many years for a variety of medicinal purposes.

A healthy population is essential for economic development. The poorest people on the planet tend to suffer most from the health effects from exposures to environmental hazards like air pollution and impure water. In turn, disease and disability related to polluted environments slows and blocks economic development.

Hexavalent chromium is a form of the metallic element chromium. Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks, animals, plants, soil, and volcanic dust and gases. It comes in several different forms, including trivalent chromium and hexavalent chromium.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep rock formations known as shale. Using this method, drilling operators force water, sand, and a mix of chemicals into horizontally drilled wells, causing the shale to crack and release natural gas or oil.

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) is 15 federal research and regulatory agencies working together to advance the acceptance of scientifically valid alternative test methods.

Tremendous progress has been made in the United States to reduce lead exposure and to lower blood lead levels. Much of this success is due to research supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and others who have helped to identify and reduce the health effects of lead exposure in children and adults.

Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., is director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health, and the National Toxicology Program (NTP).

All complex diseases have been shown to have both a genetic and environmental component. A growing body of research is beginning to suggest that many chronic adult diseases and disorders, including asthma, diabetes and obesity, may be traced back to exposures that occur during development.

Estas guías son el producto de la nueva Iniciativa para el Asma Pediátrica orientada a la integración del manejo ambiental del asma dentro de la atención de salud pediátrica. Este documento es un resumen de las materias en la salud ambiental pertinentes al asma pediátrica que deben ser ampliamente dominadas por los proveedores de salud primaria. El documento también delinea de las intervenciones ambientales que deben ser comunicadas a los pacientes.
Environmental Management of Pediatric Asthma - Guidelines for Health Care Providers (Spanish Version)

Los pesticidas son químicos que se usan para controlar diferentes tipos de plagas. Estos vienen en diferentes formas y se aplican en diferentes maneras.
Pesticide Safety Handbook (Spanish Version)

Mold is a visible group of fungi that forms and spreads on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter, such as dry wall and other building materials. There are many different types of mold, with some 1.5 million species estimated to exist. Some people may refer to mold as mildew. Both are terms used to describe fungal growth.

What is myositis? Myositis is a related group of autoimmune diseases that results in muscle inflammation and muscle destruction.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is one of 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIEHS is located in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an interagency program that coordinates toxicology research and testing across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since 1978, NTP has been generating information that helps health agencies and members of the public make informed decisions about public health.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

We all want our children to thrive and grow into a healthy and productive adult population. Since 1998, the NIEHS/EPA Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers (Children’s Centers) have studied individual, regional, national, and global environmental exposures and children’s health.

The mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives.

NIEHS, with the help of our stakeholders, has identified themes and goals as priority areas for the field.

The Summer Internship Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) provides an opportunity to spend a summer working at the institute, side by side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to environmental health research.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems, and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.

Botanical dietary supplements are sometimes referred to as herbals or herbal dietary supplements. Botanical dietary supplements are available to consumers as plants, plant parts, or plant extracts.

Chemical Effects in Biological Systems (CEBS), an integrated database of toxicology and toxicogenomics study information and data from NTP, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), other government agencies, academia, and pharmaceutical companies.

DrugMatrix® database, one of the world’s largest toxicogenomic reference resources ever assembled.

The NTP Nonneoplastic Lesion Atlas is a new searchable, Web-based resource containing thousands of high-quality images and guidelines for diagnosis of nonneoplastic lesions in experimental rodent models.

Millions of Americans and people worldwide are overweight or obese. Obesity is a complex health disorder that affects both adults and children. Childhood obesity has become a serious problem in the United States.

Oceans and lakes are more than a place to play — people depend on them for food, drinking water, and even clean air. Human health can be harmed when these waters become contaminated with toxin-producing algae or chemical pollutants.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is part of the National Institutes of Health. From its home in North Carolina, NIEHS responded immediately to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, by providing safety training for cleanup workers, and initiating the largest research enterprise ever conducted on human health and oil spills.

Developing a diverse biomedical workforce is an important part of the NIEHS mission to advance environmental health. To that end, NIEHS supports a wide range of high-quality internships, training, and career development opportunities.

Ozone is a special form of oxygen. Like ordinary oxygen, ozone is one of the many gases in the air we breathe. Like oxygen, ozone is made up of oxygen molecules. But, while the molecules of ordinary oxygen are made up of two chemically linked oxygen atoms, the molecules of ozone are made of three such atoms.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is one of the lead research agencies studying the environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease thought to be caused by the interaction of genes and environment.

The PEPH program brings together scientists, community members, educators, health care providers, public health officials, and policymakers to coordinate environmental public health research at local, state, regional, tribal, national, and global levels.

Many of us have probably seen news stories about something commonly referred to as PFCs or perfluorochemicals. You may not know exactly what they are, but can probably guess that they have something to do with the environment and your health.

Pesticides are chemicals that are used to control many types of pests. They come in different forms and are applied in several different ways.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is one of 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Unlike the majority of NIH institutes located in Bethesda, Md., NIEHS is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, a major U.S. center of biotechnology and health research.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) offers a limited number of postdoctoral training fellowships that prepare scientists for careers in pharmaceutical and chemical industries, regulatory agencies, and academia. The NTP fellowships are offered in seven areas of toxicology sciences.

The Report on Carcinogens is a scientific and public health document that identifies substances that pose a cancer hazard for people in the United States. It is intended to help people make informed decisions about their own health.

Una mañana Sharon se despertó temprano. Quería encontrar el medio ambiente. Su maestra, la señora Clark, le había dicho que la gente debe mantener limpio el medio ambiente. Pero para mantenerlo limpio, primero Sharon debía encontralo. Como era sábado, tenía mucho tiempo para buscarlo.
Sharon Finds the Environment (Spanish Version)

One morning Sharon woke up early. She wanted to find the environment. Her teacher, Miss Clark, had told her that people need to keep the environment clean . But to keep it clean, Sharon had to Find it First. Since it was Saturday, she had plenty of time to look.

Styrene is a colorless, flammable liquid, which has a sweet odor and is highly volatile. It is an industrial chemical used to make polystyrene and resins, such as reinforced plastic and rubbers.

The Superfund Research Program (SRP) has provided practical, scientific solutions to protect health, the environment, and communities since 1987. SRP works to learn more about ways to protect the public from exposure to hazardous substances, such as industrial solvents, arsenic, lead, and mercury, which can cause death, disease, and birth defects.

Systematic review is a method for answering specific research questions. It should not be confused with a regular literature search. It is much more than that. Systematic review uses a predefined, multistep process to identify, select, critically assess, and synthesize evidence from scientific studies to reach a conclusion.

The Toxicology in the 21st Century program, or Tox21, is a unique collaboration between several federal agencies to develop new ways to rapidly test whether chemicals may affect human health.

Trichloroethylene, also known as TCE, is a colorless, volatile liquid that is produced in large volumes for commercial use.

In January 2014, approximately 10,000 gallons of chemicals used to process coal spilled from a storage tank into the Elk River in West Virginia. The Elk River is a municipal water source that serves about 300,000 people in the Charleston area.

Lots of things in our homes and schools and workplaces — and in wild and natural places — can cause harm sometimes. Why "sometimes"? The harm may depend on who you are — as well as what you do, what you are exposed to, and when.