Environmental Impacts on Human Health

Environments play major roles in influencing our health.

Faculty address the health effects of multiple adverse environmental exposures (e.g., noise, air and water pollution, aeroallergens, radon), climate change, and natural disasters. Others focus on the effects of the built environment on health behaviors and outcomes (e.g., asthma, cancer, cardiometabolic risk factors and diseases, food insecurity, mental health).

Collaborating across disciplines and leveraging the university’s diverse strengths, our researchers are developing prevention and resilience solutions and translating evidence-informed policies, programs, and practices to communities.

We focus on health disparities and inequities, with sensitivity to how impacts stem from and are experienced in social environments. These impacts are often more severe for those with fewer resources, particularly in communities of color and marginalized groups and in low-income settings and populations.

We integrate the expertise of faculty from multiple disciplines and fields, including public health, kinesiology, nutrition, and human development and family sciences.

Publications

Recent environmental impacts on human health publications

(This is not an exhaustive list. Visit individual faculty profiles for more extensive lists of their publications.)

2026

James, P., Suel, E., Lin, P., Hart, J.E., Rimm, E.B., Laden, F., Hystad, P., Hankey, S., Larkin, A., Zhang, W., Klompmaker, J.O., Coull, B., Yi, L., Pescador Jimenez, M. (2026) Assessing greenspace and cardiovascular disease risk through deep learning analysis of street-view imagery in the US-based nationwide Nurses' Health Study Environmental Epidemiology 10(1)

2025

Kincl, L., Vaughan, A., Chang, S., Kasner, E.J., Milkovich, P., Sorensen, J. (2025) Informing a Program to Increase Lifejacket Use with Pacific Northwest Fishermen Journal of Agromedicine

Li, Y., Zhang, T., Ma, J., Ma, R., Liu, J., Xu, J., Rothenberg, S.E., Yan, C., Zhang, J., Luo, Z., Wang, X., Ouyang, F. (2025) Early pregnancy blood heavy metal(loid)s and low sea-fish consumption in relation to risk of gestational diabetes mellitus among Shanghai Birth cohort (SBC) women Environment International 206

Jenson, T.E., Lin, P.I., James, P., Hystad, P., Diez-Roux, A.V., Coull, B.A., Besser, L.M., Suel, E., Weuve, J., Pescador Jimenez, M. (2025) Street-view greenspace distribution across racial/ethnic, neighborhood income, and individual education subgroups Environmental Epidemiology 9

Foster, S. A., Kile, M. L., Hystad, P., Diamond, M. L., Mandhane, P. J., Moraes, T. J., Pei, J., Scott, J. A., Simons, E., Subbarao, P., Takaro, T. K., Tamana, S. K., Turvey, S. E., Brook, J. R. (2025) Organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticizers in house dust and Child Behavior Checklist outcomes: A nested study in the Canadian CHILD Birth Cohort Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology

News and stories

Recent environmental impacts on human health news and stories.

Study documents unhealthy noise in Portland, provides research framework for other cities
First U.S. study of its kind by OSU researchers finds Portland noise exceeds EPA and WHO guidelines, with loudest areas affecting low-income and non-white neighborhoods disproportionately.
Undergraduate student researchers give lightning talks
Undergraduate researchers presented findings on diverse health topics while developing critical thinking and presentation skills through the Healthy Discoveries/URSA Engage Ambassador Program.
Professor shares rice safety tips in Global News
Professor Molly Kile contributed to a Global News story about inorganic arsenic in rice. Rice has a unique ability to absorb arsenic, but Molly says harm is determined by how much and for how long someone has been exposed to the toxic chemical.
Matt Bozigar awarded $50K medical research grant
His successful application, titled "Investigating Radon’s Role in the Incidence and Mortality of Central Nervous System and Other Non-Pulmonary Cancers," will support his research in this area.
FLIPP program delivers life jackets to more than 440 fishermen
FLIPP delivers life jackets to 440+ fishermen! Partners celebrate success. Research assesses usage & feedback on comfort/utility throughout the season. Coastal news highlights community collaboration.
OSU experts interviewed on NIEHS podcast
Faculty from the College of Health were interviewed on the "Environmental Health Chat" podcast, hosted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.