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ATSDR

Partner and Other Environmental Medicine Resources

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units

The Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) are a source of medical information and advice on environmental conditions that influence reproductive and children’s health. They are academically based, typically at university medical centers, and are located across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The PEHSUs form a network that is capable of responding to requests for information throughout North America. They offer advice on prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of environmentally-related health effects in children.

PEHSUs work with health care professionals, parents, schools and community groups, and others to provide information on protecting children from environmental hazards. They also work with Federal, State, and local agencies to address children’s environmental health issues in homes, schools, and communities.

For more information and access to PEHSUs, please visit http://www.pehsu.net

PEHSU National Classroom

The PEHSUs, which are funded by ATSDR, have launched a website for the public and healthcare practitioners to aid in the prevention of environmental exposures among children. This newly structured resource houses the PEHSU National Classroom which allows healthcare professionals access to resources, webinars, and interactive online courses on various topics relating to environmental health. Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Lead,
  • Mercury,
  • Pesticides,
  • Endocrine Disruptors,
  • BPA,
  • Exposure History,
  • Cancer,
  • Asthma,
  • Public Health System, and
  • Reproductive Toxicology.

The National Classroom is intended to help healthcare professionals broaden their level of expertise in environmental health and stay informed of the latest information available. All PEHSU educational products, including webinars and online courses, are approved by the CDC as continuing education material. To register for an upcoming webinar, view an archived webinar, or access an online course, please visit: http://www.pehsu.net/nationalclassroom.html

The PEHSU program is co-managed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Medical Toxicology.

ATSDR Cooperative Agreement Partners

American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a professional membership organization of 64,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. It works with community-based organizations on many programs and grant-funded projects. AAP recommendations form the basis of pediatric preventive health care. It issues policy statements, clinical reports, technical reports and practice guidelines on a broad range of topics.

American College of Medical Toxicology

The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) is a professional, nonprofit association of more than 500 physicians with recognized expertise in medical toxicology. Medical Toxicology is a medical subspecialty focusing on the diagnosis, management and prevention of poisoning and other adverse health effects due to medications, drug overdose, acute drug abuse problems, chemical exposures, occupational and environmental toxins, biological agents and envenomations.

National Library of Medicine Specialized Information Services

Specialized Information Services (SIS) is a division within the National Library of Medicine (NLM). SIS supplies information and services relating to environmental health and toxicology, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and minority health. SIS users can search the SIS site by topic, user, database, and listserv. SIS provides a variety of environmental health databases.

  • TOXNET- Collection of environmental health and toxicology databases including the Hazardous Substance Data Bank (HSBD), TOXLINE, and ChemIDplus
  • TOXMAP- Map of hazardous sites located within the United States
  • WISER (PDA-based) – Database designed to assist first responders as they respond to and assess sudden or accidental hazardous substance events
  • HAZMAP – Database that links potential harmful occupations with any related environmentally induced disease
  • DIRLINE- Directory of health and biomedicine resources
  • Health Hotlines- Listing of toll-free numbers for environmental, health-related associations

In addition, SIS supplies a database for toxicology needs and concerns. TOXTown is an interactive Web site designed to provide information on common toxic chemicals and environmental issues. Within TOXTown, the Household Products Database gives consumers information on potentially hazardous chemicals associated with common household products. For more information and access to the SIS division of NLM, please visit http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/enviro.html.

National Environmental Education Foundation

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve everyday environmental problems. It is a complementary organization to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), extending its ability to foster environmental literacy in all segments of the American public as well as leveraging private funds that EPA, as a federal agency, could not access. NEEF goals include environmental education to schools, adult public, health professionals, and business managers. For more information and access to NEEF, please visit http://www.neefusa.org.

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