Unraveling the Health Effects of Environmental Mixtures: An NIEHS Priority

Abstract

Traditionally, toxicological studies and human health risk assessments have focused primarily on single chemicals. However, people are exposed to a myriad of chemical and nonchemical stressors every day and throughout their lifetime. Some recent events that highlight the need to understand these complex exposures and their role in the etiology of disease include the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the earthquake in Japan and subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the unknown environmental and health effects of hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, nonchemical stressors such as infectious agents, diet, and psychosocial stress should be examined for their contribution to health effects associated with chemical exposures. It is imperative to develop methods to assess the health effects associated with complex exposures in order to minimize their impact on the development of disease.The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has a rich background in both supporting and conducting combined exposure research, and this topic will continue to be a priority at the institute.