The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contracted the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to explore new research, furthering our understanding of how to best improve and protect children’s environmental health. In August of 2022, the National Academies convened a technical workshop featuring children’s environmental health professionals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The proceedings report from this workshop and an interactive online overview are now available to the public. 

“At EPA, protecting children’s health is a central focus of our mission, and we are committed to ensuring that all children, especially those in underserved communities, can live, learn, and play in an environment free from environmental exposures that can contribute to harmful health effects,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “Opportunities like this National Academies workshop help support our vision that sound science and technological information are the foundation of the work we all do to keep children as healthy and safe as possible.”

In addition to the report and online overview, the public may also view the full recorded workshop online. 

Children’s Environmental Health: A Workshop on Future Priorities for Environmental Health Sciences featured a variety of topics including children’s vulnerabilities to environmental exposures, recommended research to advance our understanding of children’s health, opportunities to address children's environmental health in risk assessment, implications of the state of the science to improve environmental policies and programs to protect children, and more. 

Children are especially vulnerable to environmental contaminants. Their bodily systems are still developing; they eat more food, drink more fluids, and breathe more air in proportion to their body weight than adults. Children's size and weight may make their bodies more vulnerable to harmful exposures, and their behavior patterns may increase their level of exposure.