The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) is announcing two award winners for the third and final phase of the HHS Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) Innovator Award Competition: Innovative Methods to Address the Impact of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals on Black or African American Women. This prize competition supports the growing need to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals in everyday products and advances President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again priorities to eradicate environmental toxins, prevent disease, fight the chronic disease epidemic, improve food safety, and eliminate petroleum-based food dyes.
“Americans are surrounded by EDCs every single day,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine. “They need the right tools and resources to make informed decisions about the products they use and environment they live in. This is crucial to prevent chronic disease and Make America Healthy Again.”
Many chemicals, both natural and manmade, may interfere with the body’s hormones, known as the endocrine system. EDCs can disrupt this system and lead to developmental, reproductive, brain, immune, and other conditions. EDCs are common and can be found in the environment, food, and everyday consumer products. Products targeted towards women, such as makeup and hair products, often contain EDCs, making EDCs a particular concern for women.
“Endocrine disruptors undermine women’s health,” said Dr. Dorothy Fink, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office on Women’s Health. “The solutions identified in this competition give women more power to avoid negative outcomes and take control of their health.”
The two winners of Phase 3 of the EDC Challenge successfully implemented programs that increased knowledge and reduced EDC exposure risk in Black or African American women; replicated and/or expanded these programs; and developed a sustainability plan that moved their programs beyond the Challenge to ensure these solutions continue to benefit women and girls.
The winners of Phase 3 of the HHS Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Innovator Award Competition are:
Silent Spring Institute – Newton, MA
Program/Focus: Silent Spring Institute, Inc developed a community-based research partnership approach, blending exposure science with community science and outreach to women through social media. The solvers partnered with content creators to increase concern about EDCs, improve identification of harmful chemicals, and encourage behavior change to avoid harmful chemicals identified on ingredient labels.
Emily Hilz – Austin, TX
Program/Focus: Emily Hilz created Endoscreen, a web-based application and mobile app that scans ingredients on commonly used beauty products and delivers information on EDCs contained in those products. The mobile app also enables users to develop an exposure profile based on the individual’s product usage and track EDC exposure over time. Endoscreen’s database is supported by a comprehensive product repository identifying EDCs in thousands of studies linking exposure to EDCs with adverse health effects.