Environmental Health

How does exposure to “forever chemicals” impact pregnancy? Is there a connection between firearm ownership and elevated lead levels in children? These are the kinds of studies Brown University carried out through its Center for Children’s Environmental Health in recent years, placing an emphasis on solutions-oriented research, said environmental epidemiologist Joseph Braun, the center’s director.

At the 26th annual Barnes Lecture, environmental law expert and former U.S. Special Envoy Monica Medina issued a stark warning about the urgent health and safety risks posed by climate change, urging sustained public attention and investment in science-driven systems like NOAA to safeguard lives and the planet.

By getting serious about accelerating emissions reductions, we will see immediate health benefits in communities across the region.

Air pollution results in over 7 million deaths each year. In this episode of Possibly, we look at the most common way to measure air quality, the Air Quality Index, and what it means for you.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals are everywhere—in our homes, our clothing, the personal care products we use and in our bodies. Postdoctoral researcher Amber Hall explains the dangers PFAS pose, especially to developing humans, and offers suggestions for avoiding them.

With climate change bearing down, Online MPH student Sean MacLean’s work with the Red Cross takes him from one natural disaster zone to another, where he leads recovery efforts and provides assistance to devastated communities.

For the first Dean’s Conversation of the new academic year, Dean Jha welcomed climate and health expert Kristie Ebi for a look back on the field she helped to found, and ahead toward actions that can make a difference.

Fusing public health with environmental science, new faculty at Brown are pioneering methods that reveal how climate change is threatening our health. Together, they’re finding solutions.

Firearms are dangerous, but their ammunition holds a silent threat: dangerously high levels of lead. Brown doctoral student Christian Hoover teams up with Professor Joseph Braun to examine the connection between guns and elevated lead levels in America’s children and adults.

What must be done to reduce the harmful health effects of major storms and make our communities ready for the short- and long-term impacts of severe weather events?

Picture a coal power plant: a building with tall smoke stacks with big plumes of gasses coming out of them. By now, we know that those gasses aren’t great for our health or the environment. But how bad are they? That’s where Professor Cory Zigler comes in.

What is the cost of homelessness in Rhode Island? Do we measure it in dollars, hours, square footage? Or is it measured by sleepless nights, persistent coughs, uncertain futures? The reasons Rhode Islanders remain unhoused are varied, but the results are the same: marginalization and the fight to keep a stable footing.

Inside your refrigerator and pantry, plastic is everywhere. There’s plastic wrap, storage bags and bins, clamshell takeout containers, beverage bottles, and condiment tubs, of course. Plastics (synthetic polymers) are also a component of the multi-layer material that make up chip bags and encase granola bars. Tin, steel, and aluminum cans, like the type that might hold beans or a soda, are lined with plastic. Even many paper products, such as paper cups and frozen food trays, are coated in–you guessed it–plastic.

Dean Jha addressed the School of Public Health at this annual fall event, showcasing the school’s impact by sharing the stage with members of the school’s community, including student, staff and faculty speakers.

Most of us know that lead exposure is bad for our health. To protect us, especially children, the US hasn’t allowed lead in gasoline, house paint, children’s toys, dishware or jewelry for decades. But there are a few places where lead has stuck around. Today we’re taking a look at one of the least well known, and most stubborn sources of lead exposure in the US - guns and ammunition. 

Massachusetts and Connecticut are now the first states to ban the use of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in protective gear worn by firefighters.

A team led by Professor Erica Walker has received federal funding to conduct the first air-quality and community noise assessment of Mississippi communities impacted by the production of wood pellets.

Brown researchers compared assisted living residents in Florida who evacuated during Hurricane Irma to those who sheltered in place in order to determine the health risks inherent in long-term care disaster planning and response.

Brown researchers examined hundreds of thousands of veterans’ health records to determine if exposure to burn pits on military bases correlates with elevated risk for respiratory and cardiac health conditions.

Erica Walker explores the hidden health impacts of wood pellet production in her home state of Mississippi

Experts describe ways to turn down the volume, from earbuds to smartphone apps that detect harmful noise levels

American life expectancy started dropping even before the pandemic. It’s a critical barometer of our nation’s health and a sign that all is not well in the U.S.

Despite being on the front lines of the climate crisis, the health care sector is also one of the greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. A new study from Brown researchers looks at these decarbonizing efforts across the globe.

MPH student Rosemelly Jimenez Medal's father has worked as a short-haul trucker for over 25 years, and she noticed that he was struggling to hear conversations at dinner. So Jimenez Medal teamed up with her father and noise researcher Erica Walker, RGSS Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University, to conduct hearing screenings on short-term truckers in California.

The second installment of the Pandemic Center’s “Our Storied Health” series highlights environmental injustice in the American South, and explores the potential of storytelling to advance public health.

As founder and leader of the Community Noise Lab, Professor Erica Walker develops practical tools to help people advocate for healthier neighborhoods, and explores how social disparities and environmental exposures harm communities.

Brown researchers study how unhealthy noise levels are impacting Cranston's schools and neighborhoods

PFAS can be found in just about everything, but there are a few things you can do to reduce your exposure.

Here are some of the noisiest parts of Providence, based on 5,000 noise complaints called to police.

Noise pollution is a physical and mental stressor with real health impacts, Professor Erica Walker tells NPR. "It's going to the emergency room for a panic attack, it's 'I can't sleep,' 'I can't hear my children.' It's all of those things," she says.

Professor of epidemiology Erica Walker weighed in for this comprehensive article for the New York Times.

Professor of epidemiology Joe Braun discusses his study about the low birth rate effects of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.”

Climate & Health Seminars explored the intersection of public health and climate change, from pandemic preparedness to global supply chains

Researchers from Brown’s School of Public Health and School of Engineering along with the Silent Spring Institute find low-cost DIY air filters effectively improve indoor air quality.

The health effects of chemical pollutants called “forever chemicals” are becoming indisputable, says epidemiologist Joseph Braun.

Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Erica D. Walker, founder of Brown Community Noise Lab, discusses how traffic noise exposure can be harmful to people's health.

Professor of epidemiology David Savitz offered commentary on veterans' exposure to chemicals in bases where burn pits were used.

Summer Gonsalves MPH’19 is a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and an advocate for environmental justice.

Epidemiologist Erica Walker returns home to study the environmental quality of Jackson, Mississippi.

Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cardiometabolic disease risk factors like obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

Joseph Braun, RN, MSPH, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, has been appointed the Director of the Center for Environmental Health and Technology (CEHT) in the School of Public Health effective January 1, 2020. Dr. Braun succeeds Gregory Wellenius, Ph.D. who has served in this role since 2018.

At a precarious time for the planet, Brown’s Center for Environmental Health and Technology is working to promote resilient, sustainable, healthy communities.