Generations at Risk: Reproductive Health and the Environment

Winner, Will Solimene Awards for Excellence in Medical Communication, sponsored by the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), New England Chapter.


Winner of the Will Solimene Award of Excellence in Medical Communication from the American Medical Writers Association

Generations at Risk presents compelling evidence that human exposure to some toxic chemicals can have lifelong and even intergenerational effects on human reproduction and development. The result of a collaboration involving public health professionals, physicians, environmental educators, and policy advocates, this book examines how scientific, social, economic, and political systems may fail to protect us from environmental and occupational toxicants. It is an important sourcebook for those concerned about their own health and that of their loved ones, as well as for medical and public health workers, community activists, policymakers, and industrial decision makers.

Humans and ecosystems in the United States are subject to potential exposure to more than 75,000 synthetic chemicals, most of which are poorly tested or untested for human health effects. The authors focus on classes of chemicals that people may be exposed to at work, at home, and in their communities. These include toxic metals, organic solvents, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors. In addition to providing scientific information with which to assess the health risks of many chemicals, the book provides a guide to the current regulatory system and resources for action.

Ted Schettler, M.D., M.P.H., is in the Department of Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, and Co-Chair of the Human Health and the Environment Project of Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. Gina Solomon, M.D., M.P.H., is a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco. Maria Valenti is a researcher, writer, and consultant on environmental and social justice issues. Annette Huddle, M.E.S., is a writer and environmental educator.