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Phthalates are a class of industrial chemicals used in plastic-based products, including food packaging and food processing equipment, and are linked to a long list of health problems in humans. Building on previous work linking fast food consumption to concentrations of phthalates measured in humans, this study by Edwards et al. (2021) quantified the concentrations of phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in foods and gloves from U.S. fast food restaurants. During this webinar, Dr. Lariah Edwards discussed the main findings of this study published in Fall 2021 in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
Featured Speaker
Lariah Edwards, PhD, is an environmental health scientist with years of experience critically evaluating toxicological and epidemiological data for the purpose of understanding health effects associated with exposure to environmental chemicals. Currently, Edwards is as postdoctoral scientist working jointly at the George Washington (GW) School of Public Health and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). At GW, Edwards is working with Dr. Ami Zota in the Environmental and Occupational Health Department where her research focuses on exposure and hazard considerations of chemicals found in food and beauty products. At EDF, Edwards works with Dr. Jennifer McPartland where she supports scientific advocacy efforts related to the evaluation of chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Edwards earned her doctorate in Environmental Health from Boston University School of Public Health in 2019 and her bachelor of science in Chemistry from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In addition to her postdoctoral work, Edwards was also a Spring 2021 Agents of Change in Environmental Justice Fellow.
This webinar is part of the Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS) webinar series. The YESS webinar series is sponsored by the Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS) Mentoring Working Group and coordinated by the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE). This series features speakers in the early stages of their careers, such as PhD students, post-docs, and other early-career researchers who study endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). They will present their research projects and findings on webinars with time for questions. Presentations will be recorded and available online.