Accomplishments of Environmental Medicine

Since its establishment in 1966, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has sponsored successful programs to:

show a statistical link between the level of methylmercury exposure in mothers during pregnancy and their children's performance on neurological tests.
show calorie-restricted diets may slow the development of bladder cancer.
show that children who are exposed to relatively small amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) before birth have higher rates of low-normal IQ scores, poor reading comprehension, and memory problems.
show that boys with relatively high levels of lead in their bones are more likely to engage in aggressive acts and delinquent behavior.
show that phenolphthalein, a widely-used laxative, causes ovarian and other cancers in laboratory rats and mice.
show that intercourse during the six days leading up to a woman's ovulation is most likely to result in conception of a child.
show there is a depletion in the earth's ozone shield.
isolate the tumor-suppressor gene, BRCA1, that is thought to play a critical role in the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
show an association between exposure to fine particles, sulfur dioxide, and acid aerosols, and an increase in respiratory symptoms, reduced lung capacity, and risk of early death.
show reducing the organic contaminants in chlorinated drinking water may enhance the benefits of this water treatment method.
show asbestos and other fibrous materials stimulate the release of a highly reactive form of oxygen that has been shown to damage lung tissue.
design a strategy for evaluating the carcinogenicity of environmental agents that will improve the ability to identify hazards and estimate risks while at the same time reducing the need for laboratory animals.
link asbestos exposure to an increased incidence of lung tumors and mesotheliomas, and establish that cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk of cancer in asbestos-exposed workers.
show that exposure to very low levels of lead during early childhood can lead to significant delays in cognitive and behavioral development.
show that exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy can result in various reproductive abnormalities in both male and female offspring.
show that toxic and carcinogenic potential of such substances as benzene, butadiene, methylene chloride, benzidine and benzidine congeners, various dyes, and a host of drugs and food additives indicates that exposures to these substances should be limited or avoided entirely - which resulted in federal regulations regarding permissible exposure limits for each.

Click here to view the
Online Resources of Environmental Medicine

return to top of page