Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and sex-typed play behavior in preschool age boys and girls
Sarah Felice Evans, Samanth Raymond, Swathi Sethuram, Emily S. Barrett, Nicole R.Bush, Ruby Nguyen, Sheela Sathyanarayana, Shanna H. Swan
Environmental Research, January 2021

Maternal stress in relation to sex-specific expression of placental genes involved in nutrient transport, oxygen tension, immune response, and the glucocorticoid barrier
Whitney Cowell, Maya Deyssenroth, Jia Chen, Rosalind J. Wright
Placenta, July 2020

Minimally Invasive Biospecimen Collection for Exposome Research in Children’s Health.  
Lauren Petrick, Manish Arora, Megan Niedzwiecki
Current Environmental Healht Reports, June  2020

Cancer in General Responders Participating in World Trade Center Health Programs, 2003 - 2013
Moshe Z Shapiro, Sylvan R Wallenstein, Christopher R Dasaro, Roberto G Lucchini, Henry S Sacks, Susan L Teitelbaum, Erin S Thanik, Michael A Crane, Denise J Harrison, Benjamin J Luft, Jacqueline M Moline, Iris G Udasin, Andrew C Todd
February 1, 2020

Early Prenatal Exposure to Suspected Endocrine Disruptor Mixtures is Associated with Lower IQ at Age Seven
Eva M. Tanner, Maria Unenge Hallerbäck, SverreWikström, Christian Lindh, Hannu Kiviranta, Chris Gennings, Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
January 1, 2020

Prenatal Exposure to PM2.5 and Cardiac Vagal Tone During Infancy: Findings from a Multiethnic Birth Cohort
Whitney J. Cowell, Kelly J. Brunst, Ashley J. Malin, Brent A. Coull, Chris Gennings, Itai Kloog, Lianna Lipton, Robert O. Wright, Michelle Bosquet Enlow, and Rosalind J. Wright
October 30, 2019

Early-life Dentine Manganese Concentrations and Intrinsic Functional Brain Connectivity in Adolescents: A Pilot Study
Erik de Water , Demetrios M. Papazaharias, Claudia Ambrosi, Lorella Mascaro, Emilia Iannilli, Roberto Gasparotti, Roberto G. Lucchini, Christine Austin, Manish Arora, Cheuk Y. Tang, Donald R. Smith, Robert O. Wright, Megan K. Horton
August 14, 2019

Fluoride Exposure and Kidney and Liver Function Among Adolescents in the United States: NHANES, 2013 – 2016
Ashley J.Malin, Corina Lesseur, Stefanie A. Busgang, Paul Curtin, Robert O. Wright, Alison P. Sanders
August 8, 2019

View archived publications

New Theory Sheds Light on How the Environment Influences Human Health — October 20, 2020
Researchers at Mount Sinai have proposed a groundbreaking new way to study the interaction between complex biological systems in the body and the environment. Their theory suggests the existence of “biodynamic interfaces,” an intermediate entity between the two realms, as opposed to conventional approaches that analyze individual aspects of the interaction between the environment and humans in isolation. Watch the video.

Researchers Discover Biomarkers of ALS in Teeth  — May 21, 2020
Mount Sinai scientists have identified biological markers present in childhood that relate to the degenerative and often fatal neurological disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to a study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology in May.

Researchers Unveil Mechanisms to Prevent Crohn’s Disease; Studies Describe Predictive Tools and Triggering Environmental Risk Factors Key to Prevention — March 26, 2020
In a series of four studies published in Gastroenterology, a journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, Mount Sinai inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) researchers, describe the identification of predictive tools and a new understanding of environmental factors that trigger IBD.

Elevated Leukemia Incidence is Found in World Trade Center (WTC) Rescue and Recovery Workers — January 14, 2020
Responders who worked at the World Trade Center site after the attacks on September 11, 2001, have an increased overall cancer incidence compared to the general population, particularly in thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, and, for the first time ever reported, leukemia, according to a Mount Sinai study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum in January. Following the attacks on the World Trade Center, 50,000 workers were involved in rescue and recovery, with many of them caught directly in the dust cloud from the collapsing towers. From then until cleanup of the site ended in June 2002, workers were potentially exposed to an array of toxins later shown to cause adverse health effects, including cancer.

Study Links Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution to Negative Impact on Infants' Heart Rate Response to Stress — October 30, 2019
A mother’s exposure to particulate air pollution during pregnancy is associated with reduced cardiac response to stress in six-month-old infants, according to Mount Sinai research published in Environmental Health Perspectives in October. This study is the first to find that particulate air pollution exposure in utero can affect heart rate variability, which is a known risk factor for health issues.

Exposure to Multiple Chemicals in Consumer Products During Early Pregnancy is Related to Lower IQ in Children — October 24, 2019
Expsoure during the first trimester of pregnancy to mixtures of suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in consumer products is related to lower IQ in children by age 7, according to a study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Karlstad University, Sweden, published in Environment International in October. This study is among the first to look at prenatal suspected endocrine-disrupting chemical mixtures in relation to neurodevelopment.   

Mount Sinai Awarded $25 Million to Syudy the Environment's Influence on People's Health Throughout Their Lifetimes — October 22, 2019
Three world-renowned environmental health researchers from the Institute for Exposomic Research at Mount Sinai have been awarded grants worth a total of $25 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the newly formed Human Health Environmental Assessment Resource (HHEAR). This program is dedicated to measuring all the environmental factors faced in people’s lives—a new science called “exposomics,” which is expected to yield important insights about disease processes and potential treatments. 

Prenatal and Early Postnatal Exposure to Manganese Could Affect Cognitive Ability and Motor Control in Teens — August 14, 2019
Mount Sinai researchers discover that early-life exposure to the mineral manganese disrupts the way different areas of the brain involved in cognitive ability and motor control connect in teenagers. This study is the first to link evidence of metal exposure found in baby teeth to measures of brain connectivity.

Fluoride May Diminish Kidney and Liver Function in Adolescents, Study Suggests — August 8, 2019
A study conducted by Mount Sinai researchers found that fluoride exposure may lead to a reduction in kidney and liver function among adolescents in the United States, where 74 percent of public water systems add fluoride for dental health benefits. The findings also suggest that adolescents with poorer kidney or liver function may absorb more fluoride in their bodies.

Early Human Species' Teeth Provide Insight Into Evolution of Breastfeeding — July 15, 2019
Mount Sinai researchers working as part of an international team have discovered previously unknown breastfeeding patterns of an extinct early human species by studying their 2-million-year-old teeth, providing insights into the evolution of human breastfeeding practices. "Seeing how breastfeeding has evolved over time can inform best practices for modern humans by bringing in evolutionary medicine," said one of the study's first authors, Christine Austin, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai.

Mount Sinai Scientist Awarded $8 Million for Visionary Research on Environmental Influences on Health and Disease — June 4, 2019
Manish Arora, PhD, Professor, Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai, has been awarded $8 million to conduct research surrounding the Biodynamic Interface theory. Dr. Arora and his team will use this award to combine the theory with newly developed technology to develop predictive models that may prevent diseases decades before any clinical signs are apparent. 

Prenatal lead exposure alters gut microbiome
NIEHS Environmental Factor News, December 2020.

Baby heartbeat reveals stress of a depressed or anxious mother 
Medical Express, September 14, 2020

Coronavirus Adds to Health Risks of Ailing 9/11 Responders 
Bloomberg, May 23, 2020

How will flooding affect your school? 
Heshinger Report, May 23, 2020

Video: Warning signs of ALS can be found in teeth long before symptoms appear, study finds 
Miami Herald, May 21, 2020

Four Fast Answers about toxins 
Senior Planet, May 1, 2020

Mother's beauty products might impact girls' weight gain 
Reuters, March 3, 2020

Climate Change Has a Profound Effect on Human Health 
Inside Mount Sinai, February 25, 2020

Mother's Beauty Products Might Impact Girls' Weight Gain
The New York Times – February 11, 2020 
A small study found that babies tended to be heavier at birth, and more likely to beome overweight by age 8, when their mothers used makup, lotions, and other common beauty products containing parabens while pregnant

Petrick Expands Metabolomics Research with Core Center Support
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – February 4, 2020
Lauren Petrick, PhD, identifies how molecular signatures in the body can tell a more complete story about prenatal and neonatal chemical exposures. She is Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a member of the Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research and the Mount Sinai Transdisciplinary Center on Early Environmental Exposures, an NIEHS-funded Environmental Health Core Center.

Sept. 11 Responders May Be at Heightened Risk of Developing Leukemia
TIME – January 14, 2020
After the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001, the thousands of people involved in rescue-and-cleanup efforts were exposed to carcinogens and other toxins as they breathed in contaminated air and dug through industrial rubble. Studies completed since then have shown elevated rates of conditions including multiple myeloma, prostate cancer and thyroid cancer among 9/11 responders and those who worked near the site. A new study conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai added another to that list: Leukemia.

New Year Health Kicks are Great – But Your Environment Is Also Vital
The Guardian – January 10, 2020
Understanding how the environment impacts health will empower us to make the lifestyle changes that matter most, from what foods to buy to fragrances to avoid.

Major Retailers Make Major Progress on Toxic Chemicals
The Hill – November 25, 2019
Major retailers are starting to eliminate PFAS and other harmful chemicals from food packaging materials, a significant source of exposure to these contaminants. “This is a major step towards promoting healthy environments and healthy families across the United States,” said Maida P. Galvez, MD of Mount Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center.

Prenatal Air Pollution Exposure Linked to Infants’ Decreased Heart Rate Response to Stress
MedicalXpress – October 30, 2019
A study conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai found that a mother's exposure to particulate air pollution during pregnancy is associated with reduced cardiac response to stress in six-month-old infants.

Chemicals in Consumer Products During Early Pregnancy Related to Lower IQ
MedicalXpress – October 24, 2019
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Karlstad University, Sweden found that exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy to mixtures of suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in consumer products is related to lower IQ in children by age 7. 

Mount Sinai Receives $25M to Study How Environment Affects Patients’ Health
Becker’s Hospital Review – October 22, 2019
New York City-based Mount Sinai was granted $25 million from the National Institutes of Health to study how environmental factors influence people’s health.

Metals in Baby Teeth Could Help Reveal What Causes Autism, ADHD
Live Science – October 2, 2019
In a study conducted by researchers at Mount Sinai, traces of metal in baby teeth were found to point to distinct differences between children with and without neurodevelopment disorders.

Pregnant Moms’ Air Pollution Exposure May Affect Babies’ Health
The Scientist – September 23, 2019
A number of epidemiological studies support a link between air quality and poor health outcomes, and researchers are searching for explanations in the lab. In a study of seven-year-olds, those children, especially boys, who were exposed to nitrate from vehicle emissions during weeks six through 12 of gestation, scored lower on lung capacity tests than kids who were exposed to lower levels.

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