Baggies, retainers and more: 5 microplastics questions, answered
Is it okay to store food in plastic bags in your freezer? Which foods have a lot of microplastics? This is what I tell my patients.
Jessica Jones Gupta
New science finds babies exposed to more ‘forever chemicals’ than previously known
Two new studies show scope of contamination and need to regulate PFAS as a class. One of the studies was co-written by our PRCCEH Co-Director Aimin Chen, MD, PhD.
Race to Research: Plastics, Microplastics and Human Health Webinar Recording
Megan J. Wolff, PhD, MPH, delivers dynamic and in-depth lecture on what is known – and what is being researched – about the impacts of plastics on human health.
50 members and counting….
PRCCEH has expanded to 50 research Center members – meet our two newest members!
Before You Light Your Fireplace, Use These Tips to Make it Safer for Your Lungs
Experts explain how to enjoy your fireplace safely this winter and protect yourself from indoor air pollutants.
Healthy Housing Best Practice Policy Brief
This policy brief builds on the learnings from Penn Center for Public Health’s October 17, 2025, Healthy Housing Symposium. It outlines evidence-informed recommendations and practices to reduce the risks and burdens of unhealthy housing and to expand access to healthy homes.
Consumer Reports Tested 41 Baby Formulas for Lead and Arsenic
Consumer Reports tested 41 types of powdered formula for a number of toxic chemicals, including arsenic, lead, BPA, acrylamide, and PFAS. We looked at established formulas , newer startups, popular store brands, and imported brands.
January is National Radon Action Month
January is National Radon Action Month, a vital time to raise awareness about one of the most common – and preventable – environmental health risks facing children today.
PRCCEH 2025 Year in Review
Thank you for another great year at Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health. We appreciate all our wonderful members, partners, and collaborators. Please enjoy this infographic of the year that was!
Safe Toys and Gift Month
If you’re planning holiday gift purchases for loved ones this season, especially the children in your life, make sure you avoid harmful ingredients.
PFAS Health Study for Medical Professionals
Community-based primary care clinicians who work in the Delaware River Valley are invited to participate in a study to assess how the ATSDR clinical information fact sheet is used in real-world applications of PFAS clinical prevention and management for children.
Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing & Reduction Grant Program
The PA DEP is offering grant funding to eligible public schools and licensed childcare facilities located in Pennsylvania for activities to reduce lead in drinking water.
Telehealth based primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning: Webinar Recording
Presentation by Noah Buncher, DO, FAAP, CHOP General Pediatrician on his past and current pilot projects on telehealth education and primary prevention of childhood lead poisoning.
Assessing childhood exposure to toxic metals during 3-D printing: Webinar Recording
Thomas Gluodenis, PhD, Professor at Lincoln University of PA discusses his PRCCEH pilot project research into potential toxic metal exposure from the 3-D printing process.
AMA Community Health Impact Lab Micro Grants
The American Medical Association is awarding micro grants to physicians who have big ideas on how to address health-related challenges faced by people with limited access to care. The grants are $50,000.
Researchers create ‘digital monument’ to site of 2019 South Philly refinery explosion
A new website details over a century of a tumultuous, industrial history at the facility, which has since been demolished by its new owners.
Our Region’s Children Environmental Health State Profiles
The Children’s Environmental Health Network has developed fact sheets that include indicators of environmental hazards, environmental exposure, and child health and development to provide an understanding of children’s environmental health at the state level.
New MCH Center of Excellence at Drexel Dornsife Will Expand Maternal and Child Health Training Programs
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health is proud to be named a Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice. Drexel’s program was selected by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA MCHB) as one of only 13 MCH Centers of Excellence in the United States.
Identifying and addressing lead exposure knowledge gaps: Webinar Recording
Harriet Okatch, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, speaks about her experience implementing a lead education program to youth and trying to communicate lead education to the public.
Philadelphia scientists will receive more than $6 million in funding from NIH’s new autism research center
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University research teams were among 13 funded nationally.
Philly and two other PA cities ranked among worst places to live for people with asthma
The 2025 U.S. Asthma Capitals report identifies cities with high rates of asthma-related emergency room visits and deaths.
Deeply Rooted models effective community-academic partnership to advance health and environmental justice in Philadelphia
Deeply Rooted has planted over 1,000 trees, greened over 1,000 vacant lots, and funded 79 community grants.
The health risks from plastics almost nobody knows about
Phthalates, chemicals found in plastics, are linked to an array of problems, especially in pregnancy
Study finds children’s health broadly declining in the U.S.
Using data from 2007 to 2023, researchers from Penn Medicine and CHOP found measures like mental health and obesity, as well as infant and child mortality rose.