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Welcome to TEACH

The TEACH Web site contains summaries of scientific literature and U.S. federal regulations relevant to children's1 environmental health. TEACH currently focuses on information that pertains to 20 chemicals of concern.

The goal of the TEACH project is to complement existing children's health resources. TEACH does not provide an evaluation or critique the validity of the relevant scientific studies; nor does TEACH derive toxicity values. Instead, the goal of TEACH is to summarize, compile, and organize information obtained from numerous resources into one online resource. TEACH is designed to support numerous efforts throughout the country that target the protection of children's health.

The TEACH project team received the 2007 Joseph Seifter Award for Human Health Risk Assessment for the development of a national children's health risk informational tool that creates a bridge between scientist and lay advocates of children's health.

The TEACH list of chemicals2 includes:
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid   Mercury (Elemental)
Arsenic   Mercury (Inorganic)
Atrazine   Mercury (Methylmercury and Ethylmercury)
Benzene   Nitrates and Nitrites
Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)   Permethrin and Resmethrin (Pyrethroids)
Bisphenol A (BPA)   Phthalates
DEET   Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Dichlorvos   Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)
Formaldehyde   Trichloroethylene
Manganese   Vinyl Chloride

The TEACH Web site contains information in two formats:

  • The TEACH Database is a searchable database containing individual summaries of published, peer-reviewed scientific research articles pertaining to the TEACH chemicals of concern.
    (NOTE: As of December 2009, the TEACH Database is no longer available as an online application. Please contact Colleen Olsberg (olsberg.colleen@epa.gov) for more information.)
  • The TEACH Chemical Summaries provide an overview and summary of available information for each of the chemicals listed in TEACH.
The TEACH Database currently contains over 2,800 summaries of articles published from January 1972 through mid-2006. We have nearly completed the process of updating the database through 2007. Most chemicals are updated through 2008. The TEACH Database is updated annually.

The TEACH project was created and developed by the EPA Region 5 TEACH Workgroup and is funded through the U.S. EPA Office of Children's Health Protection. Technical support was provided by Environmental Health Consulting, Inc.

EPA's Risk Assessment Portal has information for the public about environmental risk assessments, plus detailed information for risk assessors.

1 Childhood represents a lifestage rather than a subpopulation -- the distinction being that a subpopulation refers to a portion of the population, whereas a lifestage is inclusive of the entire population.

2 Exposure to lead can pose significant health hazards to children, and extensive information is provided elsewhere by the U.S. EPA at the National Lead Information Center.

 

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Recent Additions
last updated Sep, 2009

Combined PCB and Phthalate Exposure

Pereira et al. (2007) reported results of a two-generational study of combined PCB and phthalate exposure in rats. All exposed parents and offspring had structural changes in their thyroid associated with exposure to each agent alone, and both together.


PCBs and the Infant Thyroid

Increased thyroid stimulating hormone levels in infants were associated with increased exposure of their mothers to certain PCB congeners (Chevrier et al., 2007). The associated PCBs were those that induced microsomal enzyme activities in other studies


Phthalates and Male Reproductive Development

Prenatal exposure to DEHP resulted in decreased testosterone and testicular changes in fetuses (Mahood et al., 2006). Adult male offspring were less fertile than unexposed controls.

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