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.)

2025

Rothenberg, S.E., Flores, A.C., Anderson, M.K. (2025) Recreational fishing downstream from the Black Butte Mine Superfund Site in Oregon, USA Scientific Reports 15

Lear, S.A., McKee, M., Hystad, P., Byron Walker, B., Murphy, A., Brauer, M., Walli-Attaei, M., Rosengren, A., Rangarajan, S., Chow, C., Yusuf, S. (2025) Social factors, health policy, and environment: implications for cardiovascular disease across the globe European Heart Journal

Salehi, M., Choi, S., Kia, K., Chan, A., Kincl, L., Kim, J.H. (2025) Effects of different sorting table heights on low back and shoulders biomechanical loads during dungeness crab sorting Applied Ergonomics 128

Bozigar, M., Connolly, C.L., Vermeer, K., Carvalho, L., Cohen, R.T., Dugas, J.N., Levy, J.I., Fabian, M.P. (2025) Associations between in-home environmental exposures and lung function in a safety net population of children with asthma using electronic health records and geospatial data Annals of Epidemiology 105

Yi, L., Hart, J.E., Roscoe, C., Mehta, U.V., Pescador Jimenez, M., Lin, P.D., Suel, E., Hystad, P., Hankey, S., Zhang, W., Okereke, O.I., Laden, F, James, P. (2025) Greenspace and depression incidence in the US-based nationwide Nurses' Health Study II: A deep learning analysis of street-view imagery Environment International 198

News and stories

Recent environmental impacts on human health news and stories.

Recent alumnus wins Environmental Protection Agency award
Bruce Franz '23 received an award at the 2023 annual Pacific Ecological Systems Division award ceremony for his work to make ground water monitoring more accessible to stakeholders.
Proximity to heavy traffic congestion linked to lower infant birthweight
Researchers find that living near heavy traffic congestion correlates with lower birthweight in full-term infants, emphasizing the role of environmental stressors on pregnancy outcomes.
OSU study finds higher rates of traumatic injuries for outdoor workers during hotter weather
OSU research finds that outdoor workers in Oregon’s agricultural and construction sectors are more prone to traumatic injuries during high-heat periods, underscoring the need for improved safety measures.
It takes a village to raise a child, but who supports the village?
Oregon State University's Hallie Ford Center secures $30M+ in funding for early childhood education research, supporting educators and protecting children's health.
Where you live can affect your ability to conceive
OSU research shows neighborhood deprivation reduces conception rates by 20-25%. Study of over 6,000 people reveals environmental factors significantly impact fertility.
What's in Your Water? OSU Extension Guide to Safe Drinking Water
Pollutants in drinking water often can't be identified by sight or smell alone. OSU College of Public Health experts share how to test for contaminants like arsenic, nitrate, and lead through the university's Well Water Program.