Leah Gourlie '09

Environmental Health Strategy Center of Maine, Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine
Waterville, Maine

January 2009

The goal of the EHSC is to reduce the exposure of humans to toxic chemicals in the environment.  EHSC promotes safer alternatives to toxic chemicals and industry that does not put toxics into the environment.  The EHSC believes that it is the job of the government to protect the people from exposure to toxic chemicals and pushes legislature that will make this possible.

I worked with Gail Carlson, Colby College professor of Environmental Science, and Michael Belliveau, Executive Director of the EHSC.  I researched read and compiled scientific literature about phthalates and their toxicity and routes of exposure.  I created an annotated bibliography highlighting the most compelling papers.  This was given to Michael Belliveau who will then bring this to the stakeholders committee who is determining the list of priority chemicals to be acted upon under the new law “An Act to Protect Children’s’ Health and the Environment from Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children’s Products”.  He will use my bibliography to argue for the inclusion of phthalates as a high priority chemical.