SILENT SPRING INSTITUTE INC

FOUNDED IN 1994, SILENT SPRING INSTITUTE IS A LEADING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO UNCOVERING THE LINKS BETWEEN CHEMICALS IN OUR EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENT AND WOMEN'S HEALTH, WITH A FOCUS ON BREAST CANCER PREVENTION. WITH ABOUT 170 PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES TO DATE, THE INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAFER CHEMICALS, MARKET SHIFT AWAY FROM TOXIC CHEMICALS IN PRODUCTS, AND MORE HEALTH-PROTECTIVE REGULATORY POLICIES. OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR INCLUDE: SAFER CHEMICALS PROGRAM- WE ARE WORKING TO IDENTIFY CHEMICALS THAT INCREASE BREAST CANCER RISK AND CREATE A ROADMAP FOR STRENGTHENING REGULATIONS OF CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS. BREAST-CANCER-RELEVANT CHEMICALS: WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS ON THE MARKET, AND NEW ONES IN DEVELOPMENT ALL THE TIME, KNOWING WHICH ONES MIGHT BE HARMFUL IS A CHALLENGE BOTH FOR THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT REGULATE THEM AND THE COMPANIES THAT USE THEM IN PRODUCTS. THROUGH OUR SAFER CHEMICALS PROGRAM, WE ARE DEVELOPING NEW METHODS TO QUICKLY PREDICT WHETHER A CHEMICAL IS LIKELY TO CAUSE BREAST CANCER BASED ON WHETHER THE CHEMICAL HARBORS SPECIFIC MOLECULAR TRAITS. IN OUR MOST RECENT STUDY, APPEARING IN THE JOURNAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES, SILENT SPRING SCIENTISTS IDENTIFIED 921 CHEMICALS THAT INDUCE MAMMARY TUMORS AND/OR INCREASE ESTROGEN OR PROGESTERONE SIGNALING. ABOUT HALF OF THESE CHEMICALS (420) ALSO DAMAGE DNA, AND 90 PERCENT ARE FOUND IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS, FOOD AND DRINK, PESTICIDES, MEDICATIONS, AND INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES. THIS STUDY PROVIDES A ROADMAP FOR REGULATORS AND MANUFACTURERS TO QUICKLY FLAG CHEMICALS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO BREAST CANCER IN ORDER TO PREVENT THEIR USE IN CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND FIND SAFER ALTERNATIVES. EXPOSURE SCIENCE- UNDERSTANDING WHERE AND HOW WE ARE EXPOSED TO CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS REMAINS A CORNERSTONE OF OUR WORK, IN PARTICULAR TOXIC EXPOSURES IN INDOOR AIR AND DUST AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS. WE ARE ALSO LEADING EXPERTS ON PFAS (PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES) IN DRINKING WATER. CORSI-ROSENTHAL AIR FILTERS: SILENT SPRING AND OUR COLLABORATORS AT BROWN UNIVERSITY PUBLISHED THE FIRST PEER-REVIEWED STUDY TO SHOW HOW AFFORDABLE, EASY-TO-ASSEMBLE CORSI-ROSENTHAL BOXES CAN MITIGATE INDOOR AIR POLLUTANTS. THESE ACCESSIBLE AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS WERE FOUND TO PROTECT AGAINST COVID-19 AND REDUCE EXPOSURES TO PFAS AND PHTHALATES FROM CONSUMER PRODUCTS. THE PAPER PROVIDED A BASIS FOR SILENT SPRING SCIENTISTS TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) TO STUDY THIS INTERVENTION IN CHILDCARE SETTINGS. CALIFORNIA'S PROPOSITION 65: WE INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CALIFORNIA'S RIGHT-TO-KNOW LAW, PROPOSITION 65, AT REDUCING THE PUBLIC'S EXPOSURE TO TOXIC CHEMICALS. THE LAW REQUIRES BUSINESSES TO WARN CONSUMERS ABOUT EXPOSURES TO CHEMICALS THAT CAUSE CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS, AND REPRODUCTIVE HARM. SILENT SPRING AND OUR COLLABORATORS AT UC BERKELEY PUBLISHED A HIGH-IMPACT PAPER SHOWING THAT MORE THAN 5,000 TONS OF TOXIC CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED FROM CONSUMER PRODUCTS EVERY YEAR INSIDE CALIFORNIA HOMES AND WORKPLACES. ALTHOUGH PROP 65 HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT INCENTIVIZING COMPANIES TO REFORMULATE THEIR PRODUCTS WITH SAFER INGREDIENTS, PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE EXPOSED TO HARMFUL CHEMICALS. THE STUDY IDENTIFIES WHICH TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS ARE THE MOST WORRISOME AND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED BY REGULATORS AND MANUFACTURERS. MASSACHUSETTS PFAS AND YOUR HEALTH & PFAS HOME STUDIES: WE ARE IN THE FIFTH YEAR OF THE MASSACHUSETTS PFAS AND YOUR HEALTH STUDY, WHICH IS PART OF A NATIONAL MULTI-SITE STUDY BY THE U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TO UNDERSTAND HOW PFAS EXPOSURE THROUGH DRINKING WATER AFFECTS HUMAN HEALTH. IN 2023, WE FINISHED RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS IN HYANNIS AND AYER, WHERE NEARBY USE OF FIREFIGHTING FOAMS CONTAINING PFAS CONTAMINATED PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SUPPLIES. WE RECRUITED MORE THAN 600 ADULTS AND 76 CHILDREN, AND WILL COMPLETE RECRUITMENT IN SEPTEMBER 2023. THANKS TO A TWO-YEAR GRANT FROM EPA, WE HAVE EXPANDED THE AYER-BASED ARM OF THIS PROJECT TO INCLUDE THE PFAS HOME STUDY. WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE ARE EXPOSED TO PFAS THROUGH OTHER SOURCES IN THE HOME INCLUDING CONSUMER PRODUCTS, FURNISHINGS, BUILDING MATERIALS, AND DIET. IN ADDITION TO CONDUCTING SURVEYS, SCIENTISTS WILL BE COLLECTING AIR AND DUST SAMPLES FROM RESIDENTS' HOMES TO HELP PINPOINT THE IMPORTANT SOURCES OF EXPOSURE. PFAS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND ACTION FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH (PFAS-REACH): THROUGH PFAS-REACH WE CONTINUE TO STUDY THE IMPACTS OF PFAS-CONTAMINATED DRINKING WATER ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH. IN 2023, WE RECRUITED PARTICIPANTS IN HYANNIS AND PORTSMOUTH AND BEGAN COLLECTING BLOOD SAMPLES AND QUESTIONNAIRES. THE TEAM ALSO EXPANDED THE PFAS EXCHANGE WEBSITE, A COMPONENT OF PFAS REACH, BY INTRODUCING AN INTERACTIVE QUIZ AS WELL AS NEW RESOURCES FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. THIS SITE CONTINUES TO HELP STUDY PARTICIPANTS INTERPRET THEIR RESULTS AND ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO EXPLORE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF U.S. PFAS CONTAMINATION. MATERIALS ON THE WEBSITE ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND PORTUGUESE. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE- WE ARE GUIDED BY OUR BELIEF IN THE UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, AND SAFER PRODUCTS. WE STRIVE TO REDUCE THE DISPARITIES IN EXPOSURES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS AMONG LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. PRODUCT OPTIONS IN WOMEN-ENGAGED RESEARCH STUDY (POWER): WE WON A COMPETITIVE GRANT FROM THE OFFICE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH TO LAUNCH THE SECOND PHASE OF A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO HELP BLACK WOMEN REDUCE THEIR EXPOSURES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THEIR PRODUCTS. FOR PHASE TWO, WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING EIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT CREATORS WORKING OUTSIDE OF ACADEMIA. THE SELECTED INFLUENCERS WILL LEARN AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS IN PRODUCTS. AND, WE WILL SURVEY FOLLOWERS ABOUT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE CHEMICALS BEFORE AND AFTER VIEWING THEIR POSTS. TAKING STOCK: THE TAKING STOCK STUDY AIMS TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES IN EXPOSURE TO ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS BY DOCUMENTING PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT USE AMONG BLACK AND LATINA WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN CALIFORNIA. PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY LOG THEIR PRODUCTS THROUGH THE TAKING STOCK APP, DEVELOPED BY SILENT SPRING, TO HELP SCIENTISTS UNDERSTAND THEIR CHEMICAL EXPOSURES. FINDINGS FROM THE PROJECT'S FIRST PHASE SHOW THAT SOME STUDY PARTICIPANTS USE UP TO 30 PRODUCTS PER DAY, AND 70% OF WOMEN PREFER SCENTED PRODUCTS, WHICH OFTEN CONTAIN HARMFUL FRAGRANCE CHEMICALS. PHASE TWO OF THE TAKING STOCK STUDY IS NOW UNDERWAY. IN THIS PHASE, WE IMPROVED THE TAKING STOCK APP IN ORDER TO SUPPORT A GROUP OF WOMEN WHO ARE TRANSITIONING TO NATURAL HAIR. PARTICIPANTS WILL LOG THEIR PRODUCTS USING THE APP AND PROVIDE URINE SAMPLES. AT THE END OF THE STUDY, PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE PERSONALIZED DIGITAL REPORT (OR PRODUCT AUDIT) THAT IDENTIFIES WHICH PRODUCTS THEY SHOULD PRIORITIZE FOR REPLACING OR ELIMINATING FROM THEIR BEAUTY REGIMENS. THIS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION WITH BLACK WOMEN FOR WELLNESS AND OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE. AIRE STUDY: WORKING IN COLLABORATING WITH COLLEAGUES AT HARVARD'S T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, WE ARE STUDYING EXPOSURE TO AIR POLLUTANTS IN THE HOME AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH LITERACY. STUDY PARTICIPANTS LIVE IN DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, THE LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD OF BOSTON, WHERE NEARLY ALL CENSUS TRACTS ARE DESIGNATED AS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS. PARTICIPANTS ARE ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS AND RECEIVE A SPECIFIC PAIRING OF EDUCATION AND INDOOR-AIR-QUALITY MONITORING. ONE PARTICIPANT GROUP WILL USE SILENT SPRING'S FREE MOBILE APP, DETOX ME, WITH TIPS FOR REDUCING TOXIC EXPOSURES. WE PLAN TO ONBOARD UP TO 150 HOMES BY THE SPRING OF 2024. ROCHESTER HOME-BASED OPPORTUNITIES TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES (ROC HOME): WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTHY HOUSING, AND THE CITY OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, SILENT SPRING IS STUDYING THE IMPACTS OF A LEAD ABATEMENT PROGRAM AND RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT ON EXPOSURES TO HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS IN THE HOME. THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY IN ITS THIRD YEAR. WE ARE WORKING WITH 86 LOW-INCOME OWNER-OCCUPANTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN ROCHESTER. SCIENTISTS HAVE COMPLETED MORE THAN 130 HOME VISITS. IN ADDITION, THE TEAM WON TWO PIVOTAL GRANTS ALLOWING THEM TO INCORPORATE BIOMONITORING AND PFAS ANALYSIS INTO THIS PROJECT.