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EPA gives $97,204 to Ohio to raise awareness of environmental health risks to women

Release Date: 02/06/2008
Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, 312 353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 08-OPA013


CHICAGO (Feb. 1, 2008) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given $97,204 to the Ohio Department of Health to educate health care providers and women of child-bearing age on environmental health risks. EPA recently awarded more than $500,000 in similar grants nationwide. In Ohio, the grant will be used to develop an easy-to-use profile to assess a woman's potential exposure to environmental risks.

The EPA grants will focus on environmental health issues that could affect women and their unborn children including exposure to mercury, lead, environmental tobacco smoke, chemicals, pesticides, drinking water contaminants, and indoor and outdoor air contaminants.

"We're giving pregnant women information on how to avoid exposure to certain environmental hazards to give children a healthy start to life," said Dona Deleon, acting director, EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education. "These grants help the public health community reach women during this important time in their lives."

Pregnancy is a time for joy and celebration, but it is also a time to be especially careful about the environment in which one works and lives. There is a relationship between the mother's environment and the health of the developing fetus. Various behaviors and experiences are associated with adverse health outcomes for both the mother and infant. These experiences can occur before, during, and after pregnancy.

The grants are projected to reach approximately 3,000 health care providers and 10,000 women of child-bearing age nationwide. Information about all of the grants is available at https://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/prenatalgrants.htm