EHP: The Researcher's Perspective EHP: The Researcher's Perspective

We live in a time when investigators have overwhelming amounts of health-related data at their fingertips. In this podcast, Nicole Kleinstreuer explains how environmental health scientists are using machine learning to make sense of the information in those data—for example, predicting toxicological end points based on large curated data sets. But even as machine learning advances, researchers are working to set realistic expectations and performance thresholds for these new methods. Visit the podcast webpage to download the full transcript of this podcast. 

Methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury, is found in seafood around the world, and it can cause severe health effects in people who are exposed to it. Governments are working to reduce the amount of mercury that finds its way into the environment. Dozens of countries have pledged to implement measures to reduce mercury pollution. In this podcast, Niladri Basu discusses his recent systematic review, which estimates global baseline mercury exposures. These estimates will help countries gauge the success of their control measures. Visit the podcast webpage to download the full transcript of this podcast.

Can living in green surroundings make you healthier and happier? It’s a tantalizing idea. In this podcast, guest Rachel Banay discusses her recent EHP study on depression in older women in relation to the amount of greenness near their homes. The study is part of a growing body of research that suggests there may, in fact, be health benefits associated with spending time in or near green spaces—although it is too soon to draw any firm conclusions about the nature and direction of the relationship, if it exists. Visit the podcast webpage to download the full transcript of this podcast. 

It would be nearly impossible using current methods to test all the chemicals in use for toxic effects. So how do we prioritize which ones to study? In this podcast, Martyn Smith describes how he and his colleagues are developing lists of “key characteristics” shared by toxicants that cause specific adverse health effects, such as cancer or male or female reproductive toxicity. Risk assessors can use this information to predict the toxicity of other chemicals in an organized, systematic way. This approach may be useful in prioritizing chemicals for more detailed evaluation. Visit the podcast webpage to download the full transcript of this podcast. 

For some people, the whoosh of wind turbines is the sound of clean energy. For others, it is the sound of an environmental exposure that could possibly cause adverse health effects. Wind turbine noise has been studied in relation to diabetes, hypertension, preterm birth, and more. In this podcast, Aslak Harbo Poulsen discusses his research on wind turbine noise in relation to two more outcomes: likelihood of filling prescriptions for sleeping pills or antidepressants, and risk of heart attack or stroke. Visit the podcast webpage to download a full transcript of this podcast. 

DuPont introduced GenX almost 10 years ago as a chemical substitute for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Although GenX was intended to be less environmentally persistent than PFOA, it has turned out to be what is known as a “regrettable substitute,” whose effects may be as bad as or even worse than the chemical it replaced. In this podcast, guest Jane Hoppin discusses her work assessing exposures to GenX and related chemicals in people living in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin of North Carolina. Visit the podcast webpage to download the full transcript of this podcast.