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Sterigenics, a medical sterilization plant and large source of ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions, is closing its location in Willowbrook, Illinois. Residents organized to shut down the facility last August after a report was published detailing the facility's EtO emission levels and the potential increased risk of cancer. Between 1993-2017, Sterigenics released more than 254,000 pounds of EtO. This year, a study from the USEPA found an increased risk of developing cancer from EtO emissions in the area, including for people living as far as 25 miles away from the site. The closing of the Willowbrook location is a huge victory for residents.
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A new study has found that an increase in exposure to particulate matter 2.5 was associated with an increase in pediatric ER visits for a mental health problem days after exposure. The association was stronger between air pollution and emergency room visits for children living in poorer, high poverty neighborhoods. The study used data from 2011-2015 from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
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Did you use our report, Investigation Environmental Contamination: A Guide for Communities? Let us know! Email Emily at szwiec1@uic.edu about how you used the resource guide or with any feedback.
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The Region 5 PEHSU hosted its second annual reproductive environmental health conference, 'Chemicals, Pollution, and Pregnancy.' Over 50 people, including physicians, medical and public health students, and healthcare providers, attended the event. Dr. Marya Zlatnik of the University of California, San Francisco, was the keynote speaker and discussed environmental toxins, associated reproductive health effects, and how to talk to patients about these topics.
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Members of the Region 5 PEHSU participated in the Youth Climate Strike on September 20th in Chicago. There were over 2,5000 events scheduled in over 163 countries with estimates of more than 4 million people marching worldwide.
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The Great Lakes Center for Children's Environmental Health (GLCEH) serves as the Region 5 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) and is funded by EPA and ATSDR. The GLCEH serves Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It provides telephone consultations, technical assistance, and training from experts in pediatrics, clinical toxicology, and industrial hygiene. You can call our hotline at 866-967-7337.
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