Children’s Health Research 2012 ppt

Volume 3 | Number 4 | October 2012
Children’s Health Research







Table of Contents
About this Issue 1
In the News 2
Understanding Exposures in Children’s
Environments 3
Closing the Asthma Gap for Minority and
Poor Children 5
NaƟonal Children’s Study 9
Science MaƩers Podcast with Peter
GrevaƩ 10
PredicƟng the Future of Children’s
Health 12
Mothers MaƩ ers 14
Ask a ScienƟst QA with Sally Darney 18
ProtecƟng Growth and
Development 20
ProtecƟng Children’s Health for a
LifeƟ
me
22

About this Issue: Science Matters
to Children’s Environmental Health
Picking food up from the fl oor,
playing in dirt, exploring the
world through touch and taste.
These are all normal parts of child
development. But they are also
some of the behaviors that may
mean trouble for young children
under the wrong circumstances.
From an environmental health
perspecƟve, the behavior of
children may increase their risk of
exposure to potenƟ ally harmful
chemicals. What’s more, pound-
for-pound children eat, drink,
and breathe more than adults.

And because their bodies and
internal systems are sƟ ll growing
and developing, the earliest
stages of life are periods when
the potenƟally harmful eff ects of
environmental exposures can be
most pronounced.
Keeping children safe is the focus
across the government during
October: Children’s Health Month.
President Obama marked Child
Health Day on October 1, 2012
with a ProclamaƟon that states:
A safe environment in which
our children can live and grow
is also essenƟal to their well-
being. Because clean water
is the foundaƟon for healthy
communiƟes, we are working
to reduce contaminants in our
drinking water by updaƟ
ng
standards and beƩ
er
protecƟng our water sources
from polluƟon. We are also
building on the successes of
the Clean Air Act to improve
our air quality and help
decrease harmful toxins that

can lead to acute bronchiƟ
s,
asthma, cancer, and impaired
development.
EPA scienƟsts and their research
partners have been working to
support clean water, clean air, and
fewer toxins in the environment
for more than 40 years. Much of
that work has focused specifi cally
on advancing children’s health.
Today, EPA research conƟ nues to
provide a beƩ er understanding
of how young people at every
stage of development can be
exposed to harmful substances in
the environment and what those
exposures might mean to their
health today and well into the
future.
Please enjoy this issue of EPA’s
Science MaƩ
ers
to learn more
about how EPA researchers
and their partners are working
to protect children from
environmental threats and
promote environmental health
wherever they live, learn, and

play.
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1



















In the News
In the News
Researcher with Storied Career to Head
EPA’s NaƟonal Center for Environmental
Assessment
Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., has been a trailblazer
his whole life. From paying for his college
educaƟon by shining shoes to establishing

environmental jusƟce as a compelling fi eld of
scienƟfic research, Olden’s story encompasses
many accomplishments. Now, he is the
new director of EPA’s NaƟonal Center for
Environmental Assessment (NCEA) and hopes
to change how the country looks at disease.
Greenwire covers Dr. Olden’s life, career, and
plans as NCEA’s new director.
Link: hƩ p://bit.ly/GreenwireOlden
EPA Increasing the Effi ciency of Chemical
Toxicity Tests
An effi cient way to find out if a chemical could
harm an unborn child is by running the mouse
embryonic stem cell test (EST). The ScienƟ
st
interviewed EST experts about the best ways
to use the test and about EST variaƟ ons. One
expert, EPA researcher Sidney Hunter, tells The
ScienƟst how EPA is developing easier ways to
culture the cells, making the test even faster
and cheaper to run. Read about it in the arƟ
cle
Stemming the Toxic Tide.
Link: hƩ
p://bit.ly/TheScien
Ɵ stEPA
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2
BPA Linked to Thyroid Hormones in Pregnant
Women and Newborn Boys

A recently published study from the EPA/
NIEHS funded UC Berkeley Center for Children’s
Environmental Health links Bisphenol A (BPA) to
thyroid funcƟon in pregnant women and newborn
boys. The study, published in Environmental Health
PerspecƟ
ves
, found a correlaƟon between increased
levels of BPA in pregnant women and decreased
levels of thyroid hormones in pregnant women and
newborn boys. BPA can be found in the lining of Ɵ
ns
cans, in hard plasƟcs, and on thermal receipts.
Link: hƩ p://bit.ly/BerkeleyBPA
Read the study: hƩ p://bit.ly/EHP_BerkeleyBPA
Vanderbilt Research Team Uses Spinach to
Harness Solar Energy
A research team at Vanderbilt University has
developed a way to use spinach to harness solar
energy. The team combined silicon with Photosystem
1, a protein involved in photosynthesis, to make a
solar cell that is more efficient than other “biohybrid”
solar cells. Through an award from EPA’s People,
Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program, the team
will develop a prototype and potenƟally take the
innovaƟve technology to the market.
Link: hƩ p://bit.ly/VanderbiltP3
More about EPA’s P3 Program: hƩ p://epa.gov/ncer/
p3/

Understanding Exposures in
Children’s Environments
EPA scienƟsts and their partners provide key research outcomes for understanding and reducing
environmental risks to children’s health.
Anyone who has ever watched a
toddler barreling around knows
that trouble lurks around every
corner. Young children crawl
around on the floor, play in dirt,
and put just about anything they
can into their mouths, whether
it’s a cookie from the fl oor, a
plasƟc toy, or a dust-covered
curiosity grabbed from under the
sofa. These types of behaviors
put kids at risk of being exposed
to something toxic.
By developing beƩ er science-

based knowledge about how
kids are exposed to harmful
things in their environments,
it’s possible to reduce their risks
and take acƟon to beƩ er protect
them. That’s the goal of EPA’s
childhood exposure research.
EPA’s work to understand
childhood exposure began
shortly aŌer the Agency was
established in 1970. The early
studies focused primarily on how
young people might encounter
pesƟcides during their daily
rouƟ
nes.
“Products or behaviors that
parents think are perfectly
acceptable might come with
unintended consequences,” said
Nicolle Tulve, PhD, a research
physical scienƟst at EPA. “In all
our research, we’re focused on
day-to-day behavior; we want
to understand what exposures
are like for kids leading typical
lifestyles.”
One important way that EPA has
increased the understanding
of children’s exposures is by

developing the Child-Specifi
c
Exposure Factors Handbook,
which provides informaƟ
on
on various physiological and
behavioral factors commonly
used in assessing children’s
exposure to environmental
chemicals. It is used by scienƟ sts,
economists, health assessors,
and others within and outside
EPA conducƟ ng exposure
assessments, a criƟcal step in
idenƟfy human health risks—
including those to children’s
health—from exposure to
chemical contaminants and
other environmental stressors.
To conduct an exposure
assessment, scienƟ sts need
to understand aspects of
exposure, such as how much
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3

air a person breathes or
how much water a person
drinks on a daily basis. EPA’s
Exposure Factors Handbook, a
standard reference tool, helps
by summarizing informaƟ
on
and recommendaƟ ons on
factors relevant to exposure
assessments. Recently updated
in 2011, it provides the
most accurate and relevant
informaƟon on factors ranging
from the intake of fruits and
vegetables to consumer product
use.
But because a child’s exposure
differs from an adult’s exposure,

EPA developed the Child-Specifi
c
Handbook in 2008. The child-
specific handbook takes into
account that children typically
have different diets, higher
inhalaƟon rates per unit of
body weight, and come into
contact with contaminated
surfaces when they play close
to the ground. Understanding
these differences is criƟ cal
for evaluaƟ ng potenƟ
al
environmental hazards from
EPA-Expo-Box
EPA is using the informaƟ on available
in the Exposure Factors Handbook,
the Child-Specific Exposure Factors
Handbook, EPA exposure assessment
guidelines, and other sources
to develop the EPA-Expo-Box, a
compendium of exposure assessment
and risk characterizaƟon tools that
provide step-by-step guidance for
conducƟng an exposure assessment.
EPA-Expo-Box will also include links
to exposure assessment databases,
models, and references – all in a
user friendly format organized by

the various components of exposure
assessment.
EPA-Expo-Box will provide one stop
shopping for the latest tools and
techniques for exposure assessment.
It will become a criƟcal tool for EPA
and beyond by providing informaƟ
on
to support scienƟfi cally defensible
exposure and risk assessments to
inform decisions to protect human
health.
pollutants and will help protect
children from dangerous
exposures.
“By understanding exposure,
we can help parents and other
caregivers make more informed
decisions about how to protect
their child’s health,” explained
Tulve.
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Closing the Asthma Gap for
Minority and Poor Children
EPA scienƟsts and their partners are working to beƩer understand why asthma disproporƟ onately
affects minority and poor children.
Nearly 26 million Americans,
including seven million children,
are affected by asthma, a chronic
respiratory disorder that causes
airways in the lungs to swell and
narrow, leading to wheezing,
coughing, and shortness of
breath. The annual economic
cost of asthma, including direct
medical costs from hospital stays
and indirect costs such as lost
school and work days, amounts
to approximately $56 billion.
But when emergency room
doors burst open for someone
with an asthma aƩ ack, chances
are the paƟent will be a poor,
minority child.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and PrevenƟ
on
(CDC), minority children
living in poor socioeconomic

condiƟons are at greatest risk.
For instance, 16% of African
American children had asthma
in 2010 compared to 8.2% of
white children, and they are
twice as likely to be hospitalized
with an asthma aƩack and four
Ɵmes more likely to die than
white children. The asthma rate
among children living in poverty
was 12.2% in 2010, compared
to 8.2% among children living
above the poverty line.
“Across America we see
low-income and minority
children and families at a
disproporƟonately higher risk
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5

for asthma and respiratory
illnesses. Air polluƟ on and
other challenges are having
serious health eff ects, which
compound economic challenges
through medical bills and missed
school and work days,” said EPA
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
“As the mother of a child with
asthma, I know what it means
for our children to have clean
and healthy air to breathe.”
Administrator Jackson made
those remarks during the
unveiling of the Coordinated
Federal AcƟon Plan to Reduce
Racial and Ethnic Asthma

DispariƟes (see sidebar), a
blueprint for how EPA and other
federal agencies can team up to
reduce asthma dispariƟ
es.
A major part of that eff ort is
the work conducted by EPA
scienƟsts and their partners
exploring environmental causes
and triggers of asthma, including
how socioeconomic factors
contribute to childhood asthma.
The overall goal is to illuminate
the underlying factors of asthma
to support work on prevenƟ
on
and intervenƟ on strategies.
What increases the risk of
developing asthma? While part
of the answer certainly lies with
geneƟcs, as more than half of all
children with asthma also have
close relaƟves with the illness,
the environment also plays
a key role. Air pollutants,
allergens, mold, and other
environmental agents trigger
asthma aƩ acks.
EPA researchers and their
partners are leading the eff ort to

develop new scienƟfi c methods,
models, and data for assessing
how such triggers increase the
risk for asthma and asthma
aƩacks. The impact of this
research has already contributed
to current regulatory standards
for two priority air pollutants
regulated under the NaƟ
onal
Photograph of the 2008 wildfire in N
o
Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS) (see sidebar):
ozone and parƟ culate maƩ
er
(PM). EPA’s asthma research
has also been factored into
health assessments for diesel
emissions.
The next step is to learn ways to
beƩer protect those most at risk.
“Now we’re digging into the
dispariƟes side of the asthma
problem,” said Martha Carraway,
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6
Coordinated Federal AcƟ on Plan
In May 2012, the President’s Task
Force on Environmental Health Risks

and Safety Risks to Children released
the Coordinated Federal AcƟ on Plan
to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma
DispariƟes. The goal of the plan
is to build on the strength of past
and exisƟng federal programs while
developing collaboraƟ ve strategies
to plug the knowledge gap with
resources that already exist.
Low-income and minority asthma
sufferers face challenges such as
limited access to quality medical
care, low levels of health literacy,
and inability to aff ord medicaƟ
on.
AddiƟonally, they face higher levels of
environmental exposure to allergens

o
rth Carolina.
MD, a researcher at EPA. “Kids
with poorly controlled asthma
are more likely to be treated
in the emergency room than
kids with controlled asthma.
So for public health reasons
we need to understand
how environmental factors,
including air polluƟ on, aff
ect
asthma control in vulnerable
populaƟ ons.”
To advance that work, EPA
researchers and their partners
took advantage of a 2008
lightning strike that occurred in

Pocosin Lakes NaƟ onal Wildlife
Refuge in North Carolina. The
40,000-acre (16,000-hectare),
smoldering peat fi re sparked
by the lightning sent thick,
billowing clouds of smoke
waŌing into the air.
In collaboraƟ on with
scienƟsts at the University
of North Carolina Center for
Environmental Medicine,
Asthma, and Lung Biology, a
team of EPA researchers led
by David Diaz-Sanchez, PhD
compared emergency room
visits for asthma with air quality
reports. Looking at the results
geographically, they found
that low income counƟ es had
significantly more visits than
more affl uent counƟ es, even
though air quality and exposure
levels were the same.
“EPA studies suggest that
children and others living in
to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma DispariƟ
es
and pollutants that exacerbate
asthma and lack community
level acƟ

vi
Ɵes to reduce
outdoor air polluƟ
on.
The acƟon plan, in which EPA is
a major partner, focuses on the
following four strategies:
• Reduce barriers to the
implementaƟ on of
guidelines-based asthma
management
• Enhance capacity to deliver
integrated, comprehensive
asthma care to children
in communiƟ es with
racial and ethnic asthma
dispariƟ
es
• Improve capacity to idenƟ
fy
the children most impacted
by asthma dispariƟ
es
• Accelerate eff
orts
to idenƟfy and test
intervenƟons that may
prevent the onset of
asthma among ethnic and
racial minority children

Progress of the acƟon plan will
be documented semi-annually
and made public at www.epa.
gov/childrenstaskforce.
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7
Science to Support
NaƟonal Ambient Air
Quality Standards
ProtecƟng the health of children
and other vulnerable life stages and
populaƟons is a key consideraƟ
on
in seƫ ng the NaƟ onal Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS),
which set pollutant limits to
protect human health and the
environment.
EPA scienƟsts support the
development of NAAQS in many
ways. Two specifi c examples
include reviewing the body of
research about pollutants through
Integrated Science Assessments
(ISAs) and making children’s acƟ
vity
data easily available to decision
makers through the Consolidated
Human AcƟvity Database (CHAD):
ISAs: Two pollutants of parƟ

cular
concern for asthma are parƟ culate
maƩer (PM) and ozone. To provide
the scienƟfic basis for the NAAQS
for PM, EPA scienƟsts assessed the
latest research on the eff ects PM
has on public health and welfare.
The findings were published in the
Integrated Science Assessment
(ISA) for ParƟ culate MaƩ
er
(available at hƩ p://bit.ly/PM_ISA).
EPA is also developing an ozone ISA
to ensure the NAAQS for ozone is
supported by the best up-to-date
science.
CHAD: EPA research also
supports the NAAQS through
the Consolidated Human AcƟ
vity
Database (CHAD). CHAD provides
informaƟon on the acƟ
vi
Ɵ
es
of children and adults. Using
this informaƟ on, scienƟ sts and
engineers can simulate children’s
acƟ
vi

Ɵes and breathing rates to
see how much of a pollutant a
child inhales during daily acƟ
vi
Ɵ
es.
This informaƟon ensures that the
NAAQS protect children as well as
adults.














EPA and the NaƟ onal InsƟ tute
of Environmental Health
low-income counƟes could be
less resilient to air polluƟ
on,
possibly because of social factors
such as inadequate nutriƟ

on.
For example, if you’re poor and
you’re not eaƟng well, your
asthma may be more severe,”
said Nsedu Obot Witherspoon,
MPH, the ExecuƟve Director of
the Children’s Environmental
Health Network, a naƟ
onal
mulƟ -disciplinary organizaƟ
on
whose mission is to protect
the developing child from
environmental health hazards
and promote a healthier
environment. “Of course, other
factors may also be involved,
such as whether kids take
medicaƟons correctly and
whether they have access to
good medical care.”
EPA’s research on asthma
dispariƟes can help guide newer
and beƩ er intervenƟ ons for
reducing exposure to asthma
triggers and limiƟng the impacts
of the ailment, helping to close
the gap for minority and poor
children and improving the
health of children everywhere.

EPA’s “Science MaƩ ers” will
feature Safe and Sustainable
CommuniƟes Research, including
the links between income
dispariƟes and environmental
health and jusƟce issues in a
future issue. Subscribe now at:
hƩ p://bit.ly/SOT6a5.
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Tackling Asthma DispariƟes at the Children’s
Environmental Health Centers
Science (NIEHS) jointly fund

the Children’s Environmental
Health and Disease PrevenƟ
on
Research Centers, a network
of university-based research
programs exploring how to
reduce the impact of adverse
environmental factors on
children’s health—including
asthma.
The research has improved
asthma intervenƟons in New
York City.
Based on their research
results, health scienƟ sts
at Columbia University’s
Children’s Environmental
Health Center helped
implement an integrated
pest management (IPM) plan
for controlling rodents and
cockroaches, which carry
allergens that can trigger
asthma aƩ acks.
“The EPA/NIEHS funding
helped us to carry out an
exciƟ ng intervenƟ on that
reduces pests that carry
asthma allergens while at the
same Ɵme reducing the use

of toxic pesƟcides,” said the
Center’s director, Frederica
Perera, DrPH, a professor of
environmental health sciences
at Columbia University. “And
these intervenƟ ons were
carried out in low-income
populaƟons at most risk from
asthma.”
The National
Children’s
Study
EPA researchers contribute
to the largest federal study
ever undertaken to examine
environmental infl uences on
the health and development of
children.
The U.S. Environmental ProtecƟ
on
Agency and a consorƟ um of
federal partners, led by the Eunice
Kennedy Shriver NaƟ onal InsƟ tute
of Child Health and Human
Development and also including
the Centers for Disease Control
and PrevenƟon, and the NaƟ
onal
InsƟtute of Environmental Health
Sciences, are working together to

conduct The NaƟ onal Children’s
Study, an ongoing, long-term study
of environmental and geneƟ
c
influences on children’s health.
During the study, researchers
plan to follow 100,000 children
from before birth through their
21st birthdays to learn how
environmental infl uences aff
ect
children’s health, their growth,
and their development. Data
from the study are expected to
inform research into a host of
diff erent condiƟ ons, including
birth defects and pregnancy-
related problems, injuries, asthma,
obesity, diabetes, and behavior
problems, learning disabiliƟ
es,
and mental health disorders.
UlƟ mately, findings from the Study
will help to ensure a brighter and
healthier future for America’s
children.
For more informaƟ
on,
please visit: hƩ p://www.
naƟ onalchildrensstudy.gov/.

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The Science Matters Podcast:
Questions and Answers with EPA’s
Dr. Peter Grevatt
The latest Science MaƩ ers
podcast features Dr. Peter
GrevaƩ, the director of EPA’s

Office of Children’s Health
ProtecƟ
on.
Below are a few highlights of
the conversaƟon. To listen to
the enƟ re conversaƟ on, please
visit: hƩ p://www.epa.gov/
sciencemaƩ ers/sciencemaƩ ers_
podcasts.htm.
Science MaƩ ers: Can you give
us an overview of the work EPA
does to protect our children and
help give them a safer future?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
EPA’s mission is
to protect human health and
the environment, and our goal
is to focus on the protecƟ
on
of children in everything we
do that affects human health.
Our children’s health agenda
includes three key prioriƟ
es.
First, to use the best science
on children’s environmental
health as we implement
environmental laws. Second,
to protect children through

the safe use of chemicals. And
third, to implement eff
ec
Ɵ ve,
community-based programs
to reduce threats to children’s
health.
A few examples of EPA’s work
under these prioriƟ es include
the recently fi nalized mercury
and air toxics standards that
will prevent 130,000 asthma
aƩacks every year. The value
of air quality standards such as
these total between $37 and $90
billion each year - and those are
just health-related savings.
Another example of the work
EPA does to protect children’s
health is partnerships with
other government agencies
and nonprofi t organizaƟ
ons
to improve environments
where children spend most of
their Ɵme, such as homes and
schools. And earlier this year,
EPA partnered with Health
and Human Services and the
Department of Housing and

Urban Development to release
a coordinated federal acƟ
on
plan to reduce racial and ethnic
asthma dispariƟ
es.
Science MaƩ ers: Thats an
impressive amount of work EPA
is doing to protect our children.
All of these effects are supported
by science, correct?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
Yes, all of these
acƟons, and others, rely on
the use of the latest science on
children’s environmental health.
Science MaƩ ers: Can you tell
us a bit more about how EPA’s
science and research support
your efforts to protect children?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
EPA simply cannot
be fully successful in fulfi lling our
children’s health mission without
a strong research program. We
know there are unique windows
of vulnerability for children
developing in the womb and

early in their lifeƟmes. We also
know that children are exposed
to a myriad of chemicals during
development, many of which
have very liƩle toxicity data
available, and we know that
children are much more highly
exposed to these compounds
than adults. We oŌen do not yet
know the implicaƟon of these
factors for children’s health,
and this is why a conƟ
nued
robust children’s health research
program is so important.
A good example of science
and research that help protect
children’s health is the Children’s
Health Research Centers,
jointly sponsored by EPA and
NIEHS, that foster research
collaboraƟons among clinical
and behavioral scienƟ sts
with parƟ
cipa
Ɵon from local
communiƟes. These centers
contribute to understanding the
complex interacƟ ons between
the environment, geneƟ cs, and

other factors, and how those
interacƟ ons aff ect children’s
health from preconcepƟ
on
through young adulthood.
Science MaƩ ers: In your
opinion, what area of children’s
|
10

health research has had the
biggest impact on EPA protecƟ
ng
children?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
Some of the
most important emerging areas
from the Children’s Health
Research Centers include
endocrine disrupƟ ng chemicals,
epigeneƟcs, and implicaƟ ons for
pesƟcide exposure in children.
Another important area of
research includes having
addiƟonal toxicity studies of
developmental endpoints. These
have helped the agency develop
more health assessments that
address potenƟ al childhood
concerns. Some of the newer
IRIS assessments have included
criƟ cal effects for developmental

outcomes.
Also, comprehensive children’s
exposure factors have been
criƟcally important because
we now understand how
much more children’ eat and
drink , pound for pound, than
adults. We also much beƩ
er
understand the unique behaviors
like breasƞeeding and puƫ
ng
non-food objects in children’s
mouths and how this makes
children more vulnerable to
environmental factors.
Science MaƩ ers: In your
opinion, what area of children’s
health research has had the
biggest impact on EPA protecƟ
ng
children?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
It is really diffi
cult
to idenƟfy just one type of
research that has had the biggest
impact and that’s because
all lines of children’s health

research support EPA’s eff
orts
to protect children. So, I gave
you examples of epidemiology
research, toxicology, health
assessments, and children’s
exposure factors. We need
data from all of these lines of
research to help make sure we’re
protecƟng children’s health.
Science MaƩ ers: Looking
back over the past ten years,
what kind of overall progress do
you think we’ve made as a result
of EPA’s children’s environmental
health research?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
SubstanƟ
al
progress has been made
toward advancing children’s
environmental health over
the past ten years. The unique
vulnerabiliƟes of children have
increasingly become an essenƟ
al
part of the naƟ onal discussion
on policy, science, and educaƟ
on

in public health.
In recent years, we’ve
seen laws and regulaƟ
ons
to protect children from
chemical exposures and other
environmental hazards, and our
increased understanding of the
complex link between children’s
health and environmental
exposures has advanced our
children’s health protecƟ
on
acƟ
vi
Ɵ
es.
For example, ten years ago
we certainly understood that
lead impacts children’s IQs, but
through addiƟonal research, we
now understand that even low
levels of lead exposure can aff
ect
children’s health. This increased
understanding of lead’s eff
ects
led to the development of a
revised NaƟonal Ambient Air
Quality Standard (NAAQS) that

substanƟ ally strengthened
protecƟons for children from
lead exposures in air.
Science MaƩ ers: Going
forward, what would you say
is the greatest challenge we
face in the field of children’s’
environmental health?
Dr. GrevaƩ
:
One of the
greatest challenges we face is
how to address the many stark
dispariƟes in children’s chronic
health outcomes that we see in
America today. For example, the
naƟonal prevalence of asthma in
children is slightly less than 10%,
but in African American children
it’s nearly 16%. There is a very
high prevalence of asthma in
Puerto Rican neighborhoods as
well.
If we want to address these
issues and help protect all of the
children in America, we must
build on the progress that’s been
made in pediatric care, medical
research, and community
involvement. We need to expand

the conversaƟon on children’s
health by geƫ ng messages
out to parents and health care
providers about basic, simple
steps they can take to help to
protect children from potenƟ
ally
dangerous exposures.
Another major challenge is
understanding the vulnerabiliƟ
es
during both the prenatal and
postnatal periods of a child’s
development. There’s sƟ ll more
we need to know in this area
to determine how we can best
protect pregnant mothers to
have healthier children at these
criƟcal stages of life.
A strong children’s health
research program has laid the
foundaƟon for the progress
that we’ve made to date. I’m
confident that a robust children’s
health research program will
lead to conƟnued progress in
EPA’s work on children’s health
in the future.
| 11

Predicting the Future of
Children’s Health
EPA’s Virtual Embryo project is helping scienƟsts understand how chemical
exposure affects a developing embryo.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and PrevenƟ
on,
approximately one in every 33
babies born in the United States
is born with a birth defect. Birth
defects can heighten the risk
of long-term disability as well
as increase the risk of illness,
potenƟ ally impacƟng a child
for the rest of his or her life.
Unfortunately, the causes of most
birth defects are unknown.

EPA researchers are tapping
powerful, high-tech computer
systems and models to beƩ
er
determine how prenatal
exposure to environmental
factors might impact embryo
and fetal development. Working
on EPA’s Virtual Embryo
(v-Embryo™) project, they create
computer models of developing
body systems and combine them
with data from a number of EPA
studies and toxicity databases to
“virtually” examine the eff ects of
a variety of prenatal exposures.
Virtual Embryo simulates how
chemicals and pesƟ
cides,
including those that disrupt the
endocrine system (see ProtecƟ
ng
Growth and Development in this
issue), interact with important
biological processes that could
disrupt fetal development. The
chemicals used in simulaƟ
ons
are idenƟfied by EPA’s Toxicity
Forecaster (ToxCast - see sidebar)

as having the potenƟal to aff
ect
development.
The predicƟons from the
computer simulaƟons need to
be further tested against non-
virtual observaƟ ons. However,
the models provide scienƟ sts
with a powerful tool for screening
and prioriƟzing the chemicals
that need to be more closely
|
12

examined, greatly reducing the
cost and number of targeted
studies needed.
“We’ve built small prototype
systems, now what we want
to do is move into complex
systems models that will be
more relevant to environmental
predicƟons,” said Thomas B.
Knudsen, Ph.D., an EPA systems
biologist who is leading the
project.
Virtual Embryo models have
focused on blood vessel
development and limb
development, but are being
expanded to include early
development of the male
reproducƟve system, which
is known to be parƟ
cularly

sensiƟve to endocrine disrupƟ
ng
chemicals.
Knudsen says that having more
models is important because
different chemicals can aff
ect
biological systems in various
ways. Luckily, the Ɵme it takes to
develop new models decreases
as researchers’ model-
developing knowledge grows.
“The important challenge for
us is to try to integrate some of
this work with other issues of
broad importance to children’s
health,” said Knudsen. “We’re
focused primarily on embryonic
development, but a person
doesn’t stop developing at birth.
We have to take what we are
learning from the embryo and
extend that informaƟon into life
stages beyond birth.”
The Tox21 robot helps conduct high-throughput screenings.
EPA Speeds Up Chemical TesƟng Using ToxCast™
Children, for a variety of
reasons, can face increased
risks for adverse health
effects. To beƩ er protect

children and others, EPA
researchers are working to
test thousands of chemicals
using the innovaƟ ve Toxicity
Forecaster (ToxCast™).
Since 2007, EPA has been
using ToxCast™ to predict
the potenƟal toxicity of
chemicals and help prioriƟ
ze
chemicals in a more eff
ec
Ɵ
ve
and effi cient manner.
ToxCast™ is currently
screening thousands of
chemicals that can be found
in a wide variety of places
including industrial and
consumer products, food
addiƟves and pesƟ
cides.
It uses over 600 rapid,
automated tests called high-
throughput in vitro assays
that screen chemicals for
different types of adverse
effects such as endocrine
disrupƟ on, reproducƟ

ve
toxicity,
developmental
toxicity, cancer, and other
disease outcomes. The
program is cost-eff
ec
Ɵ
ve
because it is faster than
tradiƟ onal tesƟ ng and
helps scienƟ sts prioriƟ
ze
which chemicals necessitate
further inquiry. Such
prioriƟ
za
Ɵon reduces the
need for animal tesƟ
ng.
ToxCast™ data is publicly
available in online,
searchable databases at
hƩ p://www.epa.gov/ncct/
toxcast/.
|
13

Mothers
Matter:
Looking for a
Healthy Start
EPA researchers and their
partners are exploring the links
between early exposures to
polluƟon and potenƟ al health
effects later in life.
There’s a lot that expectant
mothers can do to give their
babies a beƩer chance for a
healthy start: get plenty of rest,
take prenatal vitamins, get
regular checkups, and avoid
alcohol and smoking.
What they can’t do: stop eaƟ ng,
drinking water, or breathing.
EPA scienƟsts and their partners,

including researchers supported
by grants from the Agency’s
Science to Achieve Results (STAR)
Program and sister Federal
agencies such as the NaƟ
onal
InsƟtute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS) are
exploring potenƟ al links
between a mother’s everyday
exposures to environmental
pollutants during pregnancy and
|
14
the health consequences those
exposures might have for her
baby in the future.
The results of the research will
help mothers know what they
can add to their “to do” (or “to
not do”) lists when preparing
for a healthy new arrival. The
research will also provide
important informaƟon to public
policy offi cials and healthcare
providers.
Reducing Children’s
Health Risks from
Exposure to PesƟ
cides

Every year, approximately one
billion pounds of pesƟ
cides
are used in the United States.
Unfortunately, the early life
stages can be parƟ
cularly
vulnerable to unintended
consequences from pesƟ
cide
exposure.
Children’s health research
has already idenƟfi
ed—and
helped diminish—increased
risks that children face from
pesƟcide exposure through
everyday acƟ
vi
Ɵes. By exploring
possible links between prenatal
exposures to pesƟ cides and
potenƟal health eff ects aŌ
er
birth, researchers and their
partners are further advancing
the science of protecƟ
ng
children’s health.
There is strong evidence that

prenatal exposure to even low
levels of organophosphate (OP)
pesƟcides can harm children’s
health. Studies by university-























based scienƟsts funded by EPA
and NIEHS have revealed links
between prenatal exposure to

two OP pesƟ cides—chlorpyrifos
and diazinon—and reduced birth
weight and length.
While EPA has banned the use
of both pesƟcides in residenƟ
al
seƫngs, they (and other OP
pesƟcides) are sƟ ll widely
used in agriculture and can
be applied in public spaces
such as parks and golf courses.
As a result, children living in
agricultural communiƟ es can
sƟll be exposed, and residues
of the pesƟcides can be present
on some convenƟ onally-grown
produce.
Recent advances in OP pesƟ
cide
exposure research gained
naƟ onal aƩ
en
Ɵon in 2011,
when several landmark scienƟfi
c
papers were published by three
of the EPA/NIEHS Children’s
Environmental Health and
Disease PrevenƟ on Research
Centers (see also ProtecƟ

ng
Children’s Health for a LifeƟ
me
in this issue). The results of
those studies revealed links
between prenatal exposure to
OP pesƟcides and disrupted
brain and nervous system
development.
Beginning in 1998 and1999,
the three studies measured
OP pesƟcide levels in mothers’
blood, urine, and in-home
environments during pregnancy
and aŌer children were born.
The mulƟ-year studies allowed
researchers to gather health
informaƟon from birth to
childhood, allowing them to
invesƟgate early life stage
exposures, behavior, and
other health outcomes later in
childhood.
One of these studies, by
scienƟsts at the Center for
Environmental Research and
Children’s Health (CERCH) at the
University of California, Berkeley,
found that higher prenatal
levels of OP pesƟ cides in

mothers’ urine were associated
with lower scores for working
memory (memory the brain
uses while acƟvely engaged in
a task), verbal comprehension,
Intelligence QuoƟent (IQ), and
other measures in children
from the “CHAMACOS” cohort
at age seven. CHAMACOS
|
15

stands for Center for the
Health Assessment of Mothers
and Children of Salinas, a
study looking at the health
impacts of pesƟcides and other
environmental chemicals that
may affect children’s health,
growth, and brain development.
Similar results were obtained
by scienƟsts at the EPA/

NIEHS Center for Children’s
Environmental Health at
Columbia University. In that
study, high cord-blood measures
of the OP pesƟ cide chlorpyrifos
were linked to lowered IQ and
deficits in working memory in
children at age seven.
And in the third study, scienƟ sts
at the EPA/NIEHS Children’s
Center at the Mount Sinai School
of Medicine found that prenatal
exposure to OP pesƟ cides was
associated with deficits in mental
and perceptual reasoning among
six- to nine-year-old children.
Although the studies are not
directly comparable, all three
studies in three diff erent groups
of children show similar results
linking prenatal exposure to
OP pesƟcides with adverse
effects on cogniƟ ve funcƟ
on
in childhood. The results add
to the weight of evidence
that prenatal exposure to OP
pesƟcides can have detrimental
effects on children’s cogniƟ
ve

development.
Subsequent studies have
conƟnued to build on the work.
Researchers at the Columbia
Children’s Center followed up
their analysis by looking at
MRI brain scans of some of the
children in the original study.
Results, published in 2012 in
the Proceedings of the NaƟ
onal
Academy of Sciences, revealed
links between children whose
mothers had higher levels of
chlorpyrifos exposure and
structural changes in their brains
that are consistent with lower IQ
scores in the exposed children.
In addiƟon, gender diff erences
between the male and female
brain appeared to be disrupted.
Studies from the UC Berkeley/
CERCH Children’s Center,
in collaboraƟon with other
Children’s Center researchers,
have shown that there can be
signifi cant geneƟ c diff erences
between individuals in the ability
to detoxify OP pesƟcides in the
body through diff ering effi

ciency
and quanƟty of an enzyme called
paraoxonase (PON). They also
found that unƟl the age of nine,
children in general have lower
capacity than adults to detoxify
OP pesƟ
cides.
Breathing Easier
Another part of EPA’s research
on prenatal exposures is looking
at the potenƟal future health
effects that may result from air
polluƟon exposure. Two recent
publicaƟons from that work
provide important clues into two
potenƟ al effects: weight gain
and neurobehavioral problems.
EPA researchers collaborated
with partners from Duke
University Medical Center on a
laboratory study that explored
how prenatal exposure to diesel
exhaust might be linked to
obesity later in life.
To conduct the study,
researchers exposed a group
of pregnant laboratory mice to
air containing diesel exhaust at
levels similar to those found in

some U.S. ciƟes. Another group
of pregnant mice was exposed to
clean (fi ltered) air.
The researchers then evaluated
the offspring, recording weight
as the mice grew. Half the mice
in each group were raised on a
regular diet and half on a high
fat diet.
While all the off spring weighed
roughly the same at birth, male
offspring whose mothers had
been exposed to diesel exhaust
became much heavier once they
reached adulthood, whether
or not they were fed a high
fat diet. Male off spring from
the diesel exposed group also
developed insulin resistance, a
risk factor for diabetes and heart
disease. In contrast, female
offspring from the diesel group
only gained more weight, as
compared to the female control
group, when fed high-fat diets.
“PrevenƟng such diesel
exposures to pregnant women
may be one strategy, along with
beƩer diet and more exercise, to
combat the obesity epidemic,”

said Sally Perreault Darney, PhD,
|
16





















coordinator of children’s health
research for EPA. (Also see
Closing the Asthma Gap in this
issue.)
To further advance the research,
EPA scienƟsts are now exploring

clues that will help explain the
observed obesity-inducing eff
ect
of diesel exhaust. EPA’s Ian
Gilmour, Ph.D, the co-author of
the study, said it’s possible that
prenatal exposures to diesel
exhaust produces infl ammatory
reacƟons in the developing brain
that prime mice for weight gain
as they get older.
In the second study, scienƟ sts
at the EPA/NIEHS-funded
Columbia Center for Children’s
Environmental Health showed
that prenatal exposure to air
polluƟon can make children
more likely to develop behavioral
problems. The study focused
on substances called polycyclic
aromaƟc hydrocarbons (PAHs),
a group of structurally-similar
chemical compounds commonly
found in vehicle and other
exhaust.
During the study, non-smoking
expectant women living in New
York City were fiƩed with air
monitors to passively measure
PAH levels from the surrounding

air as they went about their
daily rouƟnes throughout the
third trimester of pregnancy. The
scienƟsts also measured PAH
levels in the mothers’ cord-blood
aŌer their babies were born.
Both the ambient air and cord-
blood measures were combined
to esƟmate how much PAH the
growing babies were exposed to.
The researchers conƟ nued to
follow the children aŌ er birth
and about 250 children from
the cohort, then six to seven
years of age, were evaluated
for neurobehavioral and other
problems by having their
mothers fill out a detailed
quesƟ onnaire.
Published in the June 2012
issue of Environmental Health
PerspecƟ
ves
, the fi
ndings
showed a link between higher
levels of PAH exposure and
increased symptoms of anxiety,
depression, and aƩ
en

Ɵ
on
problems. The new results
extend findings from an earlier
study with the same children
that linked high PAH exposure
to lower IQ and developmental
delays.
“Neurobehavioral problems
can affect a child’s ability to
succeed in school so they can
have lifelong impacts,” said the
study’s lead author, Frederica
Perera, DrPH, a professor
of environmental health at
Columbia University, who
said the effects of PAHs are
comparable to those of low-
level lead exposure. “Therefore,
research aimed at understanding
the role of prenatal exposure
to air polluƟon is a key to
prevenƟng behavioral and
cogniƟve problems that can have
long-term effects on children
and impose a major burden on
society.”
|
17

Ask a Scientist:
Q&A with Sally Perreault Darney, PhD
Sally Perreault Darney, PhD, is an Associate NaƟ onal Program
Director for EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability research
program. She is also the coordinator of children’s health and

environmental jusƟce research. With 25 years of research
experience, she has published over a hundred papers on various
topics related to reproducƟon, development, epidemiology, and
toxicology. Earlier this year, she helped create the Coordinated
Federal AcƟon Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma DispariƟ
es
as part of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks
and Safety Risks to Children and represents EPA on the Interagency
CoordinaƟ ng CommiƩee for the NaƟonal Children’s Study.
Science MaƩ ers: Can you
give us a brief overview of how
protecƟng the environment and
supporƟng healthy communiƟ
es
helps protect children’s health?
Sally Perreault Darney: A
child’s community partly deter-
mines the potenƟ ally danger-
ous substances to which a child
may be exposed. If you look at
environmental protecƟ on from
a community standpoint, you
say, “Here is a community where
children grow up, where they
play, where they learn. Now,
how do features of the commu-
nity affect their health?”
We know that children are
disproporƟ onately vulnerable
to environmental exposures

because they eat more and drink
more, pound for pound, than
adults. When they are really lit-
tle, they like to crawl around on
the floor where they are more
exposed, and toddlers put any-
thing they can in their mouths.
We know that no maƩ er where
children live, they are more
|
18
exposed and more suscepƟ
ble
to environmental contaminants
than adults.
So, the community is a very
important factor. It determines
how acƟve their lifestyle is. It de-
termines the kinds of buildings
and outdoor areas in which they
live, learn, and play, and these in
turn determine what contami-
nants they may encounter. These
same factors also determine
what their mothers are exposed
to during pregnancy, which can
affect prenatal development and
lead to health problems later in
life.
There are many factors that

affect a child’s health, from air
quality to socioeconomics to
transportaƟ on paƩ erns. We
need a balanced understanding
among the factors that contrib-
ute to their social environment,
preserve the natural environ-
ment, provide healthy econo-
mies, and offer our children a
sustainable and healthy commu-
nity in which to thrive.
SM: What is EPA’s role in the Co-
ordinated Federal AcƟon Plan to
Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma
DispariƟ
es?
SPD: EPA’s role in the Federal
AcƟon Plan is to determine the
environmental causes of asthma
and the extent to which environ-
mental triggers, such as air pollu-
Ɵon and house dust, contribute
to asthma aƩacks. For example,
an asthma aƩack could be trig-
gered by exposure to high levels
of diesel fumes while riding on
an old school bus, by high ozone
levels while playing outside, or
by mold or dust inside the home
or school.

We also need to understand the
causes of asthma dispariƟ
es.
We need to understand why
poor and minority children are
more likely to have asthma and
to suffer from more severe and
frequent asthma aƩ acks than
non-minority, higher income
children. Knowing the factors
that lead to these health dispari-
Ɵes helps us design intervenƟ
ons

make them safe and walkable
for children. Finally, scienƟfi
c
informaƟon helps parents make
informed decisions about what
products to bring into the home
environment.
EPA research looks at all of the
factors that impact children’s
environmental exposures and
the health risks that may be
associated with them. We do
research on chemicals and
other kinds of contaminants, like
nanomaterials, that could aff
ect
children’s health. And we also
conduct and support crosscut-
Ɵng research on how all these
factor come together to aff
ect
children’s health. The Children’s

Centers, funded jointly by EPA
and the NaƟ onal InsƟ tute for
Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS) provide a good example.
Crosscuƫng by design, the Chil-
dren’s Centers address a variety
of contaminants, chemicals, air
polluƟon, toxic substances, and
water polluƟon. They look at
children’s health from a com-
munity perspecƟve and consider
to reduce them so that some
children do not suffer more than
others because they are poor or
disadvantaged.
A holisƟc approach to children’s
health considers all the diff erent
factors: children’s suscepƟ
bil-
ity, children’s exposures, and
children’s environment and
community. These all play into
how healthy our children are
and whether all children are
provided with clean and healthy
environments.
SM: How does EPA science and
research help protect and pro-
mote children’s health?
SPD: Science helps us under-

stand the many factors that
affect our children’s health and
informs the regulaƟ ons that
ensure the safety of the air our
children breathe and water our
children drink. EPA research
also helps local governments
make decisions about where to
put schools and how to oper-
ate them, as well as how to
Sally Perreault Darney,
PhD is photographed
on a playground at First
Environments Early Learning
Center. This nonprofi t child
care facility is located in
Research Triangle Park, NC,
and exemplifies a healthy
environment for children.
Learn more about First
Environments’ sustainable
pracƟces at hƩ p://www.
fi rstenvironments.org.
how different environments, say
a rural and an urban environ-
ment, have diff erent infl
uences
on exposures and health.
SM: What is the overall impact
of EPA’s research efforts in chil-

dren’s environmental health?
SPD: By understanding the
social, behavioral, biological, en-
vironmental, and economic fac-
tors that affect a child’s health,
we can take informed acƟ
ons
to prevent environmental risks
and create safer and healthier
communiƟes for our children.
Healthy children are the founda-
Ɵon of sustainability. A sustain-
able and healthy community
both protects and enhances
children’s health and wellbeing
in all dimensions.
|
19

Protecting Growth and
Development
EPA research is developing the tools and informaƟon needed to beƩ
er
understand the potenƟal risks posed by endocrine disrupƟ ng chemicals.
Normal growth and
development, from concepƟ
on
and throughout pregnancy, to
childhood and adolescence,
depends on hormones.
These chemical messengers
are produced by the body’s

endocrine system and regulate
growth, maturaƟ on, and
reproducƟ
on.
ScienƟsts have learned that
some exposures to excess
hormones or hormone-like
substances in the environment—
what toxicologists refer to as
endocrine disrupƟ ng chemicals
(EDCs)—can be especially
disrupƟve for normal health
and development and lead to
potenƟally serious disease,
reproducƟve issues, and other
abnormaliƟes later in life. EDCs
can be found in many everyday
products, including some plasƟ
c
boƩles and containers, food
from cans with certain kinds of
liners, pesƟ cides, detergents,
and even some types of toys.
|
20
Because their bodies and
internal systems are sƟ ll forming,
developing fetuses, infants,
and children can be parƟ
cularly

vulnerable to the adverse health
effects of EDCs. Those risks can
be compounded by the fact
that, in proporƟon to their body
size, babies and children drink,
eat, and breathe more than
adults and thus are likely to
take in relaƟvely more of these
substances.
ProtecƟng children and others
from exposures to endocrine
disrupƟng chemicals has been
an EPA priority since the 1990s,
when scienƟ sts hypothesized
that “humans and wildlife
species have suff ered adverse
health eff ects aŌ er exposure
to endocrine-disrupƟ
ng
chemicals,” as outlined in the
paper Research Needs for the
Risk Assessment of Health
and Environmental Eff ects of
Endocrine Disruptors: A Report
of the U.S. EPA-sponsored
Workshop, (Environmental
Health PerspecƟ ves. 1996
August, 104(4)).
Since then, EPA researchers
and grantees in universiƟ

es
have worked to understand
the potenƟal risks of EDCs to
human health and wildlife in
the environment. The work
includes prioriƟ zing chemicals
for tesƟng through EPA’s
innovaƟve Endocrine Disruptors
Screening Program and
developing models to predict
the biological pathways that can
lead to endocrine disrupƟ
on.
The work also includes
assessing the cumulaƟ ve risk
of chemical mixtures found in
food, products, and drinking
and source water. This work
on chemical mixtures is
parƟcularly important because
the combined effects of diff erent
chemicals may be addiƟ ve, even
at low concentraƟons that would
not be of individual concern.
By developing the tools and
informaƟon needed to learn

more about EDCs and their
potenƟal impacts on human
health, Agency researchers
and their University partners
are helping to protect the
health of children, adults, and
wildlife. The knowledge from
the research has a variety
of important impacts: it is
valuable to manufacturers so
they can ensure the safety
of their products; it provides
informaƟon to expectant
mothers so that they can
avoid EDC exposures before
and during pregnancy; it
offers parents, public health
professionals, and decision
makers at EPA and elsewhere

science-based data and tools
to make informed choices that
will protect children, adults,
and wildlife in the
environment.
EPA-supported Research Partners Advance EDC Science
Research conducted by scienƟ sts
at the Centers for Children’s
Environmental Health and
Disease PrevenƟ on, funded
by both EPA and the NaƟ
onal
InsƟtute of Environmental Health
Sciences, are making important
scienƟfic discoveries regarding
the potenƟ al effects of endocrine
disrupƟng chemicals on children’s
growth, development, and health.
Examples include:
• Researchers at the Columbia
Center for Children’s
Environmental Health are
exploring the links between
prenatal exposure to EDCs
and health eff ects such
as obesity and cogniƟ
ve
problems later in life.
One recent study found
a link between prenatal

exposure to phthalates—a
class of chemicals that
are known to disrupt the
endocrine system—and
decreased mental and motor
development and increased
behavioral problems at age
three.
• University of Illinois FRIENDS
Children’s Environmental
Health Center scienƟ sts are
developing novel approaches
for examining how phthalates
and Bisphenol-A (another
chemical with potenƟ
al
endocrine disrupƟ
ng
properƟ es) aff ect childhood
development.
• Researchers at the University
of California at Berkeley
Center for Children’s
Environmental Health are
tesƟng the hypothesis that
geneƟ c suscepƟ bility of
children to certain chemicals
can vary by age and gender.
This may contribute to
health impacts associated

with prenatal and early life
exposures to the endocrine
disrupƟng chemicals PBDE
(flame retardants) and DDT/E
(insecƟcides), and may aff
ect
the onset of puberty.
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21












Protecting
Children’s
Health
for a
Lifetime
EPA and the NaƟ onal InsƟ tute
of Environmental Health
Sciences support a network of
research centers working to

improve children’s health and
prevent disease.
Did you know that organic
brown rice syrup may be a
source of arsenic exposure?
That children living near busy
roads may be at higher risk
for asthma? And that obese
mothers may be 67% more likely
to have a child with AuƟ
sm
Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as
compared to normal-weight
mothers who do not have
diabetes or hypertension?
The above facts are just three
of the many findings from a
children’s environmental health
research program supported by
EPA and the NaƟ onal InsƟ tute of
Environmental Health Sciences
(NIEHS). For more than 14 years,
EPA and NIEHS have partnered
to invest more than $150
million to expand knowledge
about children’s environmental
health through the EPA/NIEHS
Children’s Environmental Health
and Disease PrevenƟ on Research
Program (Children’s Centers).

Since the program began,
more than 20 mulƟ
disciplinary
Children’s Health Research
Centers have been funded,
engaging some of the naƟ on’s
leading children’s environmental
health researchers.
Through the collaboraƟ
ve
network, research scienƟ sts,
pediatricians, epidemiologists,
and local community
representaƟves seek ways
to reduce children’s health
risks, protect them from
environmental threats, and
promote their health and well-
being in the communiƟ es where
they live, learn, and play.
“The Children’s Centers are
really cross-cuƫ ng by design
in that they address all kinds
of contaminants, chemicals, air
polluƟon, toxic substances, and
water. They look at children’s
health from a community
perspecƟve so they consider
urban and rural environments
and how they have diff erent

influences on health. In that
sense, they are serving a broad
and important funcƟ on,” said
Sally Perreault Darney, PhD, the
coordinator of EPA’s children’s
environmental health research.
Center researchers are
invesƟ
ga
Ɵng how environmental,
geneƟc, and epigeneƟ
c
components, as well as how
social and cultural factors, may
be linked to many of today’s
most pressing children’s
health concerns, including
diseases such as asthma,
auƟ sm, aƩ
en
Ɵ on defi
cit
|
22

hyperacƟvity disorder (ADHD),
neurodevelopmental defi
cits,
childhood leukemia, diabetes,
and obesity.
EPA/NIEHS Children’s Centers
researchers have published
a host of important fi
ndings
on diverse research subjects
important to protecƟ
ng
children’s health. (See

sidebar: Advancing Children’s
Environmental Health Science.)
“Children’s Centers researchers
have pioneered new ways
of thinking about how to
understand and address
children’s environmental
health. Because the program
includes mentoring of new
invesƟgators, the impact of
the Centers program reaches
well into the next generaƟ
on
of children’s environmental
health researchers,” said Rich
Callan, MPH, one of EPA’s project
officers for the program.
The Centers also emphasize
community engagement and
the importance of translaƟ
ng
research findings to make
them accessible and useful to
doctors, nurses, public health
officials, and local communiƟ
es.
Many of the Centers include
focused research, outreach, and
intervenƟ on efforts within at-risk
populaƟons, such as children

whose parents are agricultural
workers or from low-income
families.
In 2013, EPA and NIEHS expect
to fund addiƟ onal Children’s
Centers to build upon the
foundaƟon of research on
children’s environmental health.
To learn more about EPA’s
Children’s Environmental Health
and Disease PrevenƟ on Research
Centers, including how to sign up
for the monthly webinar series
presenƟng the latest research
findings, please visit: www.epa.
gov/ncer/childrenscenters/.
Long-term Research to
Protect Children
Some of the Children’s
Environmental Health Centers
have been following children
before they were born, collecƟ
ng
environmental measurements
over several years and across
different developmental stages.
The work has proved to be
a tremendous resource and
conƟnues to support ongoing
research.

Recent examples include
findings by Children’s Centers
at Columbia, Mount Sinai,
and UC Berkeley/Center for
Environmental Research and
Children’s Health (CERCH)
showing that prenatal
exposure to higher levels
of organophosphate (OP)
pesƟcides, commonly used on
agricultural crops, can lower a
child’s Intelligence QuoƟ ent (IQ)
and performance on memory
and behavioral tests.
The Columbia study also found
altered brain structure in
children with higher prenatal
OP exposures. The structural
alteraƟons observed are
consistent with those seen in
the brain structures of children
found to have IQ defi
cits.
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