A public health researcher in Illinois is a leading voice in a growing national conversation about tightening regulations on chemicals found in household products.
Gail Prins teaches urology, physiology and pathology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. Prins says research and knowledge about harmful chemicals are well documented, but policy prohibiting the use of certain substances is lacking.
“I see a lot of influence of the industry with legislators, and people more concerned about the immediate dollar, the immediate bottom line, rather than the long-term bottom line,” Prins said.
Prins says she hopes to raise public awareness about the health risks associated with certain products, like makeup or plant fertilizer.
“Your life is just so intertwined with chemicals that are put out there it’s mind boggling when you start investigating what you do with your everyday life,” Prins said.
Many chemicals used to make cosmetics in the US are banned in other places, like the European Union and Canada. Some substances used in cosmetics sold in the US contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, like coal tar or benzidine.
Gail Prins’ talk “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Your Environment” is Wed., Sept. 21 at 6 pm at the Jump Trading Simulation Center. Registration is free and open to the public.