Press Releases

Read press releases highlighting findings from the Center’s researchers

June 28, 2018: Handwashing and House Cleaning May Protect Against Unhealthy Chemicals
Researchers saw exposures to the flame-retardant Tris, one of a class of chemicals linked to decreased fertility and thyroid dysfunction, fall by 43 percent among participants. NEW YORK (June 28, 2018)—Washing your hands and cleaning your house frequently may help to lower your contact with common flame-retardant chemicals, according to a new study by researchers […]
April 4, 2018: Childhood Exposure to Flame Retardant Chemicals Declines Following Phase-Out
After phase-out of PBDEs, blood levels of the toxic chemicals have declined but not disappeared NEW YORK (April 4, 2018)— Exposure to flame retardants once widely used in consumer products has been falling, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. […]
January 24, 2018: Air Pollution May Shorten Telomeres in Newborns—A Sign of Increased Health Risks
Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health find babies exposed in the womb to high levels of air pollution had shortened telomeres. NEW YORK (Jan. 24, 2017)—A study conducted before and after the 2004 closure of a coal-burning power plant in Tongliang, China, found children born before the closure had shorter telomeres than […]
October 4, 2017: Air Pollution and Poverty Stack the Deck for ADHD
A study of low-income children in New York City finds toxic pollutants and economic disadvantage combine to increase risk for ADHD behaviors NEW YORK (Oct. 4, 2017)—Scientists at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health report the first evidence that prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)—carcinogenic […]
January 23, 2017: NYC Toddlers Exposed to Potentially Harmful Flame Retardants
100 Percent of Toddlers Studied Had Flame Retardants on Their Hands; On Average, They Were Exposed at Levels Above Those Found on Their Mothers NEW YORK (January 23, 2017)—Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) within the Mailman School of Public Health report evidence of potentially harmful flame retardants on the hands […]
July 1, 2016: Consensus Statement: Environmental Toxins Hurt Brain Development, Action Needed
Project TENDR Calls for Government and Industry to Reduce Toxic Exposures in the Environment NEW YORK (July 1, 2016)—An unprecedented alliance of leading scientists, medical experts, and children’s health advocates argue that today’s scientific evidence supports a link between exposures to toxic chemicals in air, food, and everyday products and children’s risks for neurodevelopmental disorders. […]
April 17, 2016: Mom’s Exposure to BPA During Pregnancy May Put Her Baby on Course to Obesity
94 Percent of Pregnant Women Studied Had Detectable Levels of BPA, a Chemical Used in Water Bottles, Canned Foods, and Paper Receipts NEW YORK (May 17, 2016)—Prenatal exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical used in plastic water bottles and canned food, is associated with measures of obesity in children at age 7, according […]
March 17, 2016: Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution Linked to Impulsivity, Emotional Problems in Children
NEW YORK (March 17, 2016)—Exposure to common air pollutants during pregnancy may predispose children to problems regulating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors later on, according to a new study led by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, within Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and New York State Psychiatric Institute. The […]
October 5, 2015: Exposure to Common Flame Retardants May Contribute to Attention Problems in Children
NEW YORK (October 5, 2015) —Prenatal exposure to some flame retardants that have been widely-used in consumer products is associated with attention problems in children ages three through seven, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, within Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health. The researchers are the […]
May 1, 2015: Toxic Combination of Air Pollution and Poverty Lowers Child IQ
NEW YORK (April 29, 2015)—Children born to mothers experiencing economic hardship, who were also exposed during pregnancy to high levels of PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), scored significantly lower on IQ tests at age 7 compared with children born to mothers with greater economic security and less exposure to the pollutants. The findings by researchers at […]
Mar 25, 2015: Breathing Air Pollutants During Pregnancy Can Damage Child’s Brain, Raise Risk of Cognitive and Behavioral Problems
MRI Study of Pollutants’ Effect on Developing Brain Reveals Widespread Losses in White Matter Linked With ADHD NEW YORK (March 25, 2015)—Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) at the Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues at the University of Southern California have found a powerful relationship between prenatal exposure to […]
November 5, 2014: ADHD-Air Pollution Link
Breathing Dirty Air During Pregnancy Raises Odds of Childhood ADHD-Related Behavior Problems NEW YORK (Nov. 5, 2014)—Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAH, a component of air pollution, raises the odds of behavior problems associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, at age 9, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s […]
September 17, 2014: Phthalates Heighten Risk for Childhood Asthma
Asthma risk increased more than 70 percent among a group of children exposed during pregnancy to high levels of the household chemicals butylbenzyl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate NEW YORK (Sept. 17, 2014)—Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health are the first to demonstrate an association between […]
Clean Air Halves Health Costs in Chinese City
–Environmental Regulations Improve Health and Decrease Expenses Related to Death and Disability in Taiyuan, China — Air pollution regulations over the last decade in Taiyuan, China, have substantially improved the health of people living there, accounting for a greater than 50% reduction in costs associated with loss of life and disability between 2001 and 2010, according to […]
May 8, 2014: Improving air quality in NYC would boost children’s future earnings
NEW YORK (May 8, 2014)—Reducing air pollution in New York City would result in substantial economic gains for children as a result of increasing their IQs. The study is the first to estimate the costs of IQ loss associated with exposure to air pollution, and is based on prior research on prenatal exposure to air […]
March 27, 2014: Coal Plant Closure in China Led to Improvements in Children’s Health
Decreased exposure to air pollution in utero is linked with improved childhood developmental scores and higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key protein for brain development, according to a study looking at the closure of a coal-burning power plant in China led by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at […]
January 22, 2014: Obese Children More Susceptible to Asthma from Air Pollution
NEW YORK (January 22, 2014) – Obese children exposed to high levels of air pollutants were nearly three times as likely to have asthma compared with non-obese children and lower levels of pollution exposure, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University […]
October 7, 2013: Air Pollution and Psychological Distress During Pregnancy Linked to Childhood Behavior Problems
–Combination of physical and psychosocial stressors during fetal development magnifies the effect of each exposure– NEW YORK (October 7, 2013) – Maternal psychological distress combined with exposure to air pollution during pregnancy have an adverse impact on the child’s behavioral development, according to researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the […]
September 4, 2013: DNA Changes During Pregnancy Persist Into Childhood
NEW YORK (September 4, 2013) – Even before they are born, babies accumulate changes in their DNA through a process called DNA methylation that may interfere with gene expression, and in turn, their health as they grow up. But until now it’s been unclear just how long these changes during the prenatal period persist. In […]
March 1, 2013: BPA Raises Risk for Childhood Asthma
–Children Exposed to the Plastics Chemical Bisphenol A Had an Elevated Risk for Asthma– NEW YORK (March 1, 2013) — Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health are the first to report an association between early childhood exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) and an […]
February 6, 2013: Air Pollution Primes Children for Asthma-Related Cockroach Allergy
— Researchers at the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health Untangle Complex Web of Factors Behind High Rates of Asthma in Urban Environment– NEW YORK (February 6, 2013)—An allergic reaction to cockroaches is a major contributor to asthma in urban children, but new research suggests that the insects are just one part of a more […]
January 8, 2013: Widespread BPA Exposure among Urban Mothers and Children
January 8, 2013 (New York, NY) – Bisphenol-A (BPA) was detected in at least 94% of urine samples from a group of urban mothers and children, according to researchers at Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (the Center) at the Mailman School of Public Health. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a chemical that is found in certain […]
September 7, 2012: Prenatal Exposure to Pesticide Additive Linked With Childhood Cough
— Cough Symptoms at Age 5 and 6 Appear to Be Unrelated to Asthma or Infection — NEW YORK (Sept 7, 2012) — Children exposed in the womb to the widely used pesticide additive piperonyl butoxide (PBO) have heightened risk of noninfectious cough at ages 5 and 6, according to researchers at the Columbia Center […]
September 5, 2012: Children Exposed to Two Chemicals in Plastics Have Elevated Risk of Asthma-Related Airway Inflammation
— Study Adds to Growing Evidence on Connection Between Phthalates and Respiratory Health — NEW YORK (Sept. 5, 2012) — Children exposed to diethyl phthalate (DEP) and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP)–phthalate chemicals commonly found in plastics and personal care products–have elevated risk of asthma-related airway inflammation, according to researchers at Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health […]

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