1. Addressing Environmental Health Policy:
Reproductive Health and Chemical Exposures:
Lessons for Energy Development
Rachel Morello‐Frosch, PhD, MPH
UC Berkeley, School of Public Health & Department of
Environmental Science, Policy and Management
UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the
Environment
Center for Environmental Health
Webinar 5: Translating Science into Policy
CEH Webinar Series:
What’s Energy Development Doing to Our
Reproductive Health?
5/11/2015

2. 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

3. U.S. Chemical Production Volume
Compared to Population

4. Exposure Is Everywhere Everyday

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

7. Many
hormone-
related
diseases and
disorders are
on the rise

8. Links between natural gas
development and birth outcomes
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
Neurotube Defects Congenital Heart
Defect
Odds 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)

10. Researchers and regulators pushed by EH advocates
to better address cumulative impacts
Consider 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, 2011
Hicken et al. , Health Affairs, 2011

11. Disparities in Exposures
Hazardous Occupations
Poor Ambient Air Quality
High Traffic Density
Water Contamination
Social Vulnerability
(Extrinsic Factors)
Poverty
Food Insecurity
Psycho-social Stressors
Less Health Care Access
Race/Racism
Gender Roles
Health
Disparities
Mortality
Morbidity
Triple Jeopardy
Morello-Frosch et al., 2006, 2011, 2013
Gee and Payne-Sturges, 2004
O’Neill et al. 2003
IOM, 1999
Biological Susceptibility
(Intrinsic Factors)
Age
Underlying Disease
Malnutrition
Sex
Interaction/Additive Effects

12. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
∑PBDE BDE‐47 BDE‐99 BDE‐153
median concentration 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

13. 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

14. Manufactured pharmaceuticals have
to have safety data before use
Manufactured chemicals do NOT

15. Toxic Ignorance is baked into our regulatory system
No data does not mean no problem…

16. Public Policy: Current Approach

17. The Public Bears the Burden

18. 18
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

19. "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

20. Institutionalize Change

21. “… we must shift …burden
of 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

22. ..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

23. 23
Actions Matter

24. Exposure Assessment as Prevention Evidence
Existing human and
animal evidence of
health concern
Human Exposure
Evidence
Educate
Regulate
Reformulate
Basis for
Action
Strength of
evidence, not
“proof”

25. 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

26. Chevron Refinery Fires –2007, 2012
Photos: KCBS News

27. Vanadium
• Sources: key marker
for petroleum refining
• Richmond higher than
Bolinas
• Outdoor air is the
major indoor source

28. 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

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

30. 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 questions
Emphasizes causes of exposure &
opportunities for action
Collective
Individual
Reach: Leverage knowledge to drive
policy change
Photo: Communities for a Better Environment

31. Thank you!
rmf@berkeley.edu