Asking the Right Questions: Are Women of Childbearing Age at Risk of Exposure to Multiple Pollutants


Asking the Right Questions: Are Women of Childbearing Age at Risk of Exposure to Multiple Pollutants, a discussion with Dr. Marcella Remer Thompson recorded 9/18/13.Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE-AK)“We carry a history of our environmental exposures throughout our lives.” – Dr. Thompson.

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The Body Burden of Multiple Pollutants: In a recent study, more than half of women of child-bearing age had median or higher levels of at least two of three pollutants that could harm brain development.

About the call:

Asking the Right Questions: Are Women of Childbearing Age at Risk of Exposure to Multiple Pollutants

In a recent analysis of thousands of U.S. women of childbearing age, Brown University researchers found that most exceeded the median blood level for two or more of three environmental pollutants that could harm brain development of fetuses and babies: lead, mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Join lead author of the study Dr. Marcella Remer Thompson of Brown University to learn more about women’s chemical body burden and the need to look at health outcomes for multiple environmental chemical co-exposures.

This call is presented by ACAT’s Alaska Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE-AK).

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Dr. Marcella Thompson

Dr. Marcella Remer Thompson is nationally recognized for her interdisciplinary work in safety, health and the environment.

Presenters:

Dr. Marcella Remer Thompson, PhD, MS, CSP, RN, COHN-S, FAAOHN  is nationally recognized for her interdisciplinary work in safety, health and the environment. As State Agencies and Community Liaison for Brown University’s Superfund Research Program, Dr. Thompson leverages new and existing academic-government-community partnerships to identify stakeholder’s needs. She conducts health impact assessments, coordinates intercollegiate activities, and ensures the Center’s research has a positive impact on public health. Additionally, she is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Thompson’s research focuses on multiple environmental chemical exposures among childbearing-aged women.

Dr. Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Salve Regina University, a Master of Science degree in community/occupational health nursing from Boston University, a Master of Science degree in occupational health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD in nursing from the University of Rhode Island.

Presentation slides (pdf)

Presentation notes (pdf)

Call Recording (mp3)

Resources:

Dr. Thompson’s Dissertation: Exposures to Multiple Environmental Chemicals (Lead, Methylmercury and Polychlorinated Biphenyls) Among Childbearing-aged Women in the U.S. 

Women 16–49 at risk of multiple pollutants. Brown University news release, Nov 28, 2012

Brown University Superfund Research Program

Research

Thompson, M.R. & Boekelheide, K. (2013). Multiple Environmental Chemical Exposures to Lead, Mercury and Polychlorinated Biphenyls Among Childbearing-Aged Women (NHANES 1999-2004): Body Burden and Risk Factors. Environmental Research. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2012.10.005

Websites

Superfund Sites in United States

US EPA Enviro Facts

The Endowment of Human Development

TEDX: The Endocrine Disruptor Exchange

List of Teratogens from the from the 9th edition of “Sax’s Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials”

Department of Physiology and Pharmacy, University of Calgary, British Columbia, Canada: Video: How Mercury Causes Brain Neuron Damage.

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