Silent Spring Institute, Inc.
Rating: 4 stars 1 1 review 258
Address:
320 Nevada Street No 302 Newton MA 02460 USA
Mission:
Silent spring institute is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to expanding our knowledge of the relationships between the environment and women's health, especially breast cancer.
Programs:
Silent spring institute is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to studying the links between the environment and women's health, especially breast cancer. We are the only independent research organization dedicated to breast cancer prevention. Our path-breaking research program focuses on identifying and reducing common exposures to hormone disruptors and breast carcinogens. Our multidisciplinary scientific staff collaborates with researchers at harvard, northeastern university, and university of california, berkeley. Silent spring institute was founded in 1994 to investigate elevated breast cancer rates on cape cod. Since then, the institute has become a national leader (continued on schedule o) in environmental health research and the influence of endocrine-disrupting compounds (edcs) on hormonal cancers (e. G. , breast, prostate, ovarian, testicular), fertility, and child development. The institute has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and is developing new technologies to accelerate the identification of toxic chemicals in our everyday lives. Among our accomplishments over the past 20 years are a number of important "firsts. " silent spring institute was the first to measure household exposure to 30 endocrine-disrupting compounds (2003) and to quantify the presence of 55 edcs in 213 consumer products (2012). We were the first to identify thyroid-disrupting flame retardants as a health risk in u. S. Homes (2003), the first to compile a comprehensive database of breast carcinogens (2007), and the first to demonstrate that food packaging is the major source of exposure to hormone-disrupting bpa and phthalates (2011). We were the first to demonstrate the link between california furniture flammability standards and increased levels of flame retardants in blood, urine, and household dust (2008) and the first to subsequently document levels of new flame retardants in california homes following the ban of pbdes (2012). Silent spring institute was also the first to create a priority list of 17 potential breast carcinogens and methods to measure them in people as a tool to reduce exposures now (2014). These scientific advances combined have empowered consumers to make better choices and have helped advance public health policies that are focused on the use of safer chemicals. Current studies include:" household exposure study: understand how people are exposed to chemicals in consumer products and develop strategies to reduce exposures. " chemicals and breast cancer: building on national initiatives for chemical safety screening, develop innovative methods to rapidly screen chemicals for effects on breast development and breast cancer. " personal exposure right-to-know study: develop and evaluate ethical and effective methods for reporting results to participants in biomonitoring and personal exposure studies. " cape cod drinking water study: measure hormonal pollutants in cape cod drinking water, evaluate technology and policy options to protect groundwater. " green housing study: measure the impact of green renovation on indoor air pollutants. " open data practices for environmental health studies: evaluate online sharing of data, measure ethical concerns about possible re-identification of study participants. " women firefighters biomonitoring collaborative: measure chemical exposures of female firefighters in the san francisco area to flame retardants and other pollutants. Our outreach and communications program links our research with public health policy and informs individuals and communities. Outreach includes a popular web site and e-newsletter, lay summaries for scientific publications, and a growing presence on facebook and twitter. We give presentations and workshops for small community groups, plenaries of several thousand, and professional audiences of doctors and scientists. Last year, our research team participated in more than 38 advisory panels, conferences, seminars and community events across the country. Our news media outreach resulted in coverage of our research in more than 44 articles in outlets such as national geographic, the new york times, time magazine, chemical and engineering news, the boston globe, science, the washington post, fox news and dozens more. We are at the forefront in developing community-based research methods that link scientists with community members and leaders. Silent spring institute is supported by federal grants, private foundations, and individual donors.
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Reviews for Silent Spring Institute, Inc.
1 person found this review helpful
This organization funds ground-breaking scientific research into environmental causes of cancer - following through on Rachel Carson's work published in Silent Spring. That's all they do - and who knows, maybe they'll help people prevent getting cancer in the first place. Sure would be better than watching these painful deaths.
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