The public health impacts of floods
Cheryl Bettigole, executive director of the Penn Center for Public Health and former health commissioner of Philadelphia, discusses the many ways communities are affected by floods.
Jessica Jones Gupta
Eliminating Disparities in Children’s Lead Exposure: An Unfinished Job
Blood lead levels in young children in the U.S. declined in the last decade, but state data reveal that children of color and children from low-wealth families continue to have elevated blood lead levels at disparately high rates
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens Awarded the American Thoracic Society 2026 Public Service Award for Promoting Respiratory Health
Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens Awarded the American Thoracic Society 2026 Public Service Award for Promoting Respiratory Health
Dr. Osterhoudt Testifies at Philadelphia City Hall on Child Safety and Unregulated Intoxicants
On May 21, Dr. Kevin Osterhoudt testified before Philadelphia City Council’s Commerce Committee in support of Bill No. 260163, legislation aimed at regulating so-called “hemp-derived” cannabinoid products (such as delta-8 THC) and kratom.
CEHN’s 2026 Voter Guide for Children’s Environmental Health and Companion Toolkit
The Children’s Environmental Health Network is excited to announce the release of our 2026 Voter Guide for Children’s Environmental Health and Companion Toolkit.
Heating Up to Expectations
Research from climate scientist Michael Mann and colleagues vindicates climate models and reframes the record heat of 2024.
Penn researchers advance detection of microplastics in water as federal effort ramps up
As concerns grow over microplastics in drinking water and the environment, researchers at Penn are working to simplify how the tiny particles are detected – a mission now backed by new federal attention and funding.
Year 4 of the Academy for Environmental Exposure Reduction
Twelve students from different high schools across Philadelphia were given the opportunity to study environmental exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) for eight weeks.
Assessing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals through ultra-processed food: Webinar Recording
Hosted as part of Earth Week at the University of Pennsylvania, this webinar focused on the impact of processed food and hidden dietary EDC exposure sources on children’s health.
Using AI to discover meaningful knowledge from multimodal representations of longitudinal maternal/fetal health: Webinar Recording
The Romano Lab conducts original research at the interface of clinical/translational informatics and environmental health.
Ambient air pollution is associated with respiratory infection burden in the first year of life
Ambient air pollution is associated with respiratory infection burden in the first year of life, according to preliminary findings from the Immune Development in Early Life (IDEaL) Rome Cohort
Samantha McBride lab is working on new ways to detect microplastics
In Philadelphia, Penn has a microplastics lab that’s working on creating new detection methods and ways to clean up the potential toxins.
PRCCEH in the community!
PRCCEH has been across the Philadelphia region this spring educating students, health professionals and partners about children’s environmental health issues and programs.
Extreme temperatures, neighborhood opportunity, & pediatric primary care outcome: Webinar Recording
In this webinar, Dr. Stephanie Mayne from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will present results from a PRCCEH-funded pilot study examining the association of extreme temperatures with missed pediatric preventive visits.
State of the Air Report Cards
The American Lung Association “State of the Air 2026” report ranks cities and grades counties based on their levels of ozone and two measures of particle pollution in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Millions of Preterm Births and Thousands of Infant Deaths Linked to Plastic Chemicals
CNN published an article titled “Millions of Preterm Births and Thousands of Infant Deaths Linked to Plastic Chemicals,” which highlighted a recent study co-authored by Dr. Leonardo Transande, director of the Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards at NYU Langone Health.
Making older homes a safer haven for young families in Lancaster
After five years, the Lead-Free Families initiative is proving the impact of a health system investing in safe homes.
European retailers yank popular headphones after study reports trace amounts of hormone-disrupting chemicals
After a study found that many popular headphones had trace amounts of chemicals linked to reproductive and neurobehavior problems, some European retailers pulled the products from their shelves.
Consumer Reports Tested 49 More Baby Formulas for Lead and Arsenic
Almost half were good choices, including some powdered, ready-to-feed, and organic formulas
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.
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.