The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has named the 15 winners of the first phase of a competition to find innovative ways to lower Black women's exposure to harmful chemicals.
“For far too long, Black women have been overexposed to harmful endocrine-disrupting chemicals in personal care products," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in an HHS press release issued May 2. "We created this competition to help find innovative solutions to meet this challenge, and I want to congratulate all the winners for their incredible ideas.”
The Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) Innovator Award Competition is offering total cash prizes of $1,355,000 for "programs that demonstrate effectiveness, sustainability, and the ability to replicate and/or expand interventions that address gaps in knowledge and provide solutions to reduce EDC exposure risk for Black or African American women."
“We will continue to prioritize the health of Black women by addressing the exposure risks caused by this environmental justice issue," Becerra said.
Both natural and manmade chemicals can interfere in the body's endocrine system, the release reports. These chemical "endocrine disruptors" are connected with health problems affecting development, reproduction, immune systems and brain health, according to the news release. These disruptors are in the environment, foods, plastics, cosmetics, pesticides and "everyday consumer products," the release reports.
HHS reports that "significant" health disparities exist among women affected by EDCs, with non-Hispanic Blacks having higher exposures to and bodily concentrations of certain EDCs than non-Hispanic Whites. The higher rates of exposure are through environmental factors such as air pollution, and certain hair- and personal-care products linked to higher instances asthma, breast cancer and problems during pregnancy, among other concerns.
“We remain committed to addressing the health disparities among women impacted by EDCs,” Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for Health, said in the release. “Not only are there higher exposure levels among communities of color, but also fewer available resources and protective factors such as green spaces and healthy food options. The HHS Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Innovator Award Competition is one part of our multi-pronged approach to promoting innovative and community-led solutions that promote health equity and environmental justice for all.”
