Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium

“Toxic Chemicals Deregulation is Bad for Your Health: Let’s Talk About the Toxics in Your Water and Food” a Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium Series talk by Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Clinical Professor Emerita of Environmental Health Boston University School of Public Health.

Robust evidence documents the presence of pesticides, PFAS, phthalates, microplastics and more in our drinking water and food. Shown to be toxic to environment and to public health, recent deregulation of these chemicals has unintended consequences on public health. In this seminar, Professor Heiger-Bernays will focus on product use, diseases of young adults and ways to decrease your exposures to these toxic substances.

Dr. Wendy Heiger-Bernays is clinical professor emerita in the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. For 35 years her research has focused on understanding how environmental hazards negatively impact the health of populations. Her practice focuses on interventions to decrease community exposure to these insufficiently regulated hazards that include industrial chemicals and biological toxins. Dr. Heiger-Bernays has served on federal and state science advisory boards. When she retired from BU in 2024, she decided that dismantling of environmental regulations and science required drastic measures - she is now Chief of Research in the Office of Research and Standards at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Dr. Heiger-Bernays is Chair of a local Board of Health and she is chairing a National Academy of Science, Medicine and Engineering Committee on how the US identifies carcinogens.

Professor H-B loves to ride her bike, walk in the woods and knit (wool, no synthetics).