Addressing Environmental Health Policy: Reproductive Health and Chemical Exposures: 

Lessons for Energy Development

Rachel Morello‐Frosch, PhD, MPHUC Berkeley, School of Public Health & Department of 

Environmental Science, Policy and ManagementUCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the 

Environment

Center for Environmental HealthWebinar 5: Translating Science into Policy

CEH Webinar Series: What’s Energy Development Doing to Our 

Reproductive Health?

5/11/2015

Federal reserve data on chemical production is only offered as relative production, which is unit‐less. A specific reference year is chosen and values are calculated relative to that year’s production. In this particular data set 2007 is the reference year and is assigned a value of 100. 

Data from: U.S. Federal Reserve Board, Division of Research and Statistics

↑15 fold

U.S. Chemical Production Volume Compared to Population

Exposure Is Everywhere Everyday

… “ to a disturbing extent, babies are born pre-polluted.”

Many hormone-related diseases and disorders are on the rise

Links between natural gas development and birth outcomes

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0.5

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Neurotube Defects Congenital HeartDefect

Odd

s Ratio and

 95%

 CI

Birth Defect

McKenzie et al. 2014. Environ Health Perspect 122:412–417.  Odds rations adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol use, education, and elevation of residence, as well as infant parity and sex 

Association between natural gas development well count within 10‐mile radius of maternal residence  (highest versus lowest tertile of exposure)

Researchers and regulators pushed by EH advocates to better address cumulative impactsConsider social inequality, segregation, and links to environmental health disparities:

◦ Multiple hazards where communities live, work, and play

◦ Vulnerability due to chronic social stressors ◦ poverty, malnutrition, discrimination 

chronic health problems

Morello-Frosch et al. Health Affairs, 2011Hicken et al. , Health Affairs, 2011

Disparities in Exposures

Hazardous OccupationsPoor Ambient Air Quality

High Traffic DensityWater Contamination

Social Vulnerability (Extrinsic Factors)

PovertyFood Insecurity

Psycho-social StressorsLess Health Care Access

Race/RacismGender Roles

Health Disparities

MortalityMorbidity

Triple Jeopardy

Morello-Frosch et al., 2006, 2011, 2013Gee and Payne-Sturges, 2004O’Neill et al. 2003IOM, 1999

Biological Susceptibility (Intrinsic Factors)

AgeUnderlying Disease

MalnutritionSex

Interaction/Additive Effects

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∑PBDE BDE‐47 BDE‐99 BDE‐153

med

ian concen

tration in serum

  (ng

/g lipid)

Madrid, Spain, 2003‐2004 (n=61)

Salinas Valley, California,   1999‐2000 (n=270)

United States (NHANES),   2003‐2004 (n=75)

Northern and Central California, 2008‐2009 (n=25)

Comparison of flame retardants in pregnant women worldwide

Zota A. et al. 2008 Environmental Science & Technology; Quirós‐Alcalá L. et al. 2011 Environment International;  Yuang et al. 2010 Chemosphere;  Whitehead T. et al. 2012 13th Workshop on Brominated Flame Retardants

PBDEs Highest Exposure in California

Manufactured pharmaceuticals have to have safety data before use

Manufactured chemicals do NOT

Toxic Ignorance is baked into our regulatory system 

No data does not mean no problem…

Public Policy: Current Approach

The Public Bears the Burden

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Actions Matter – Policy

Zota A.R., et al. 2013 ES&T

June 2006, California State bans PBDEs

65% ↓PBDEs levels in California pregnant women 

2007 – 2012

"California is curbing toxic chemicals found in everything from high chairs to sofas….. These new standards will keep the furniture in our homes fire‐safe and limit unnecessary exposure to toxic flame retardants.“

‐ Gov. Jerry Brown

Institutionalize Change

“… we must shift …burdenof proof from the individual health care provider and the consumer to the manufacturers before … chemicals are ….released into the environment.” Dr. Jeanne Conry, President ACOG 2013

Linda C. Giudice, MD, PhD, President American Society for Reproductive Medicine and Jeanne C. Conry, MD, PhD, President, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – October 2013, Washington, DC

..modernize and strengthen …TSCA to increase confidence that chemicals … are safe…

Congress must modernize TSCA to ensure product safety

By updating TSCA, Congress can create … chemicals policy that protects public health and the environment,

Safer Chemicals Healthy Families

Everyone agrees – chemicals policy needs to be modernized

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Actions Matter 

Exposure Assessment as Prevention Evidence

Existing human and animal evidence of health concern

Human ExposureEvidence

EducateRegulateReformulate

Basis for ActionStrength of

evidence, not “proof”

Household Exposure Study:Northern California

50 Homes ◦ Richmond, CA (N=40)◦ Bolinas, CA (N=10)

Methods◦ Indoor/outdoor air & dust collected from each home◦ 155 analytes ‐‐ industry, transportation sources and consumer products

Goals◦ Compare pollutant levels in communities with and without major industry

◦ Assess cumulative impact and highlight local sources of concern◦ E.g. refinery activities

Chevron Refinery Fires –2007, 2012

Photos: KCBS News

Vanadium

• Sources: key marker for petroleum refining

• Richmond higher than Bolinas

• Outdoor air is the major indoor source

Comparison of the Vanadium – Nickel relationship across three cities

Cities with heavy oil combustion (refineries and shipping) have a similar chemical signature in the air

http://www.fenceline.org/richmond/data.php

Community – engaged Science Promotes the 3 R’s:

Rigor: Community involvement promotes good science

In research design, data collection, ground-truthing, interpretation, etc

Relevance: Asking the right questionsEmphasizes causes of exposure & opportunities for action

CollectiveIndividual 

Reach: Leverage knowledge to drive policy change

Photo: Communities for a Better Environment

Thank you!rmf@berkeley.edu