CHNY: Nurse-founded organization prioritizes environmental health

Clean and Healthy New York, Inc. (CHNY) is a nurse-founded organization that aims to educate nurses about the scientific principles of the relationship between health and environment; to advance their assessment and referral skills for environmental hazards; to advocate for patients and communities to reduce adverse health effects, and to understand policy related to environmental health. CHNY hosts educational symposia and presentations at workshops covering such topics as women’s environmental health, climate and health in New York State, and the need for federal chemical policy reform in partnership with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.

CHNY conducts research by monitoring people and products for toxic chemicals, and uses their findings to educate the public, change purchasing practices, and advocate for policy changes. Biological monitoring, or biomonitoring, is the measurement of the body burden of toxic chemical compounds, elements, or their metabolites, in biological substances, including blood, urine, hair, and breast milk, even baby teeth. Clean and Healthy New York helped coordinate two biomonitoring projects that provided information about the toxic body burden of health care professionals, and authored both reports of the findings.

In addition to the broad dissemination of educational reports, Clean and Healthy New York spearheads a program to educate childcare providers about where toxicants may be lurking in childcare settings, and how to reduce or eliminate them. This sector was targeted because a critical window of pediatric development is between the ages of newborn to three years of age, when children are most vulnerable to toxicants and they are most likely to be in a child care setting.

Nurses are trusted, credible spokespeople on a range of public health issues, including environmental health, and see first-hand the effects that toxic chemicals, air and water pollution can have on the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations. Nurses can have a tremendous impact when educating patients and their families, other caregivers, and policy makers. To promote environmental health education, Clean and Healthy New York has created a series of fact sheets specifically for nurses and other healthcare professionals.

There are several factors impacting diseases, including genetics, stress, diet, and a person’s environment. According to the 2010 President’s Cancer Panel report, “with the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action.” Although there are steps people can take to detoxify their personal workplace and environments, market and government policy shifts are necessary to ensure appropriate and adequate disease prevention. Clean and Healthy New York has worked tirelessly over the last decade to achieve market and government policies that promote safer chemicals, a sustainable economy, and a healthier world.

Clean and Healthy New York’s next big priority is to tackle toxic chemicals introduced into food during processing and packaging. Current chemical-safety laws don't protect people from chemicals, additives, and other contaminants in food. New York has the potential to provide national leadership, given its large population and economy. Nurses and other interested advocates are invited to visit CHNY’s website www. cleanhealthyny.org for regular advocacy updates and new environmental health information. — Kathleen A. Curtis, LPN is the

Executive Director of CHNY.