News
Health effects of PFAS exposure through breastmilk largely unknown
June 2024
As reported by Healio, pregnant people exposed to higher levels of PFAS may struggle with breastfeeding.
In Harm’s Way: New Research Elucidates the Never-Ending Impacts of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
April 2024
ENDO 2024 symposium will feature Prof. Megan Romano speaking about her research on PFAS and lactation.
Seafood Consumption Habits in New Hampshire and Potential PFAS Exposures
April 12, 2024
Dartmouth News reports on a study led by Prof. Megan Romano which suggests that people who frequently consume seafood may face an increased risk of exposure to PFAS, aka “forever chemicals.” This work was covered by several major news outlets and featured in the Superfund Research Program’s Science Digest.
PFAS Blood Testing in New Hampshire
October 12, 2023
Prof. Megan Romano discusses with InDepthNH how blood tests may support New Hampshire residents impacted by PFAS pollution by allowing them to better understand their health risks.
Thayer Students Win Award for Capstone Project to Remove PFAS from Wastewater
July 17, 2023
Prof. Megan Romano and Prof. Vicki May advised a group of Thayer School of Engineering students, Ariana Arvelo Marchan '23, Abbi Fitzpatrick '22 Th'23, William Gano '22, and Eliana Ray '23, who received a $10,000 grand prize for their capstone project "Low Cost, Open Source PFAS Filter Design for Small Cleaning Businesses and Beyond." The prototype these students created removes 95% of PFAS from wastewater. The project sponsor was NH DES scientist, Dr. Jennifer Harfmann.
PFAS News on NPR
February 16, 2023
A recent report from WBUR described links of PFAS with a growing list of health concerns, and Dr. Romano was one of the experts quoted, explaining how PFAS adversely affect the body. She was also one of the experts consulted for the companion piece online outlining ways to avoid or reduce exposure to PFAS.
Environmental Health Poster Awards
October 27, 2022
Yuting Wang (QBS PhD Candidate) won best graduate student poster for her work titled “Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Postpartum Weight Retention in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study” at the New Hampshire Environmental Health Conference in Concord, NH. Manu Onteeru (’24) tied for second place in the undergraduate student poster competition for his work titled “Association Between Fish Oil Supplement Use and Serum Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” Manu’s work was co-supervised by Dr. Elizabeth Kantor at Memorial Sloan Kettering and was recently published in Environmental Research.
Editor’s Choice Selection at Toxics
June 30, 2022
Congratulations to postdoctoral fellow, Gyeyoon Yim and PhD candidate Yuting Wang for selection of their scoping review, entitled “Exposure to Metal Mixtures in Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Outcomes” to the Editor's Choice list!
As exposure to chemical rises, so does risk of ending breastfeeding early
May 16, 2016
"Women with the top-quartile serum PFOA concentrations during pregnancy had a 77 percent greater risk of ending any breastfeeding by three months and a 41 percent greater risk of ending any breastfeeding by six months compared to women with the lowest-quartile PFOA concentrations," said lead author Megan Romano, a postdoctoral scholar in the Brown University School of Public Health. "These should be on our radar as chemicals that might be affecting women's ability to breastfeed." Read full story here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/716176