Women’s well-being directly affects their families and is central to the health of future generations. However, many homes—meant to be safe havens—expose families to harmful toxins that threaten children’s development and elders’ health.

Toxic exposure begins in the womb, impacting fetuses with long-term consequences. Despite decades of research connecting chemical exposure to health risks, U.S. regulations fail to safeguard consumers. Of 86,000 chemicals in use, only a handful are partially banned under the Environmental Protection Act, leaving families vulnerable and responsible for creating safer environments themselves.

A mother’s exposure is intrinsically linked to her health and the health of her children. Maternal exposure to hazardous substances can negatively impact both the fetus and the health of the birthing parent and their child. Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures during the first three years of their lives, due to children’s higher metabolism, rapid growth and development during critical periods, and immature immune systems. Combined with their proportionately greater intake of air, water and food relative to body weight, these factors increase a child’s susceptibility to environmental harms, potentially causing long-term effects on cognitive function, behavior, and overall health (United Nations, 2024).

Scientific research underscores that the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to a child’s second birthday, represent a critical window for their health and development. During this time, a child’s brain, lungs, immune system and other vital organs undergo rapid growth, which makes them highly vulnerable to toxic exposures.

According to pediatrician and public health doctor Dr. Philip Landrigan, “exposures to even low levels of pollution during the first 1,000 days can stunt children’s growth, increase their risk of disease, and cause lasting damage to their brains, lungs, reproductive organs and immune systems” (Landrigan and Etzel, 2013). 

For example, maternal exposure to air pollution has been linked to reduced intelligence in children, shorter attention spans and higher risk of developmental disorders such as ADHD. Chemical pollution, including exposure to pesticides, plastics and flame retardants, can further impair cognitive development and contribute to learning disabilities, behavioral disorders and chronic illness (Landrigan and Goldman, 2011; Grandjean and Landrigan, 2014).

Homes are major sites of exposures to toxics, and because of gendered expectations, women spend more time in the home than men. Household air pollution exposure is three to five times more polluted than outdoor air and can lead to a range of different diseases, including stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer (WHO).

Homes should nurture well-being, not harm it.

Building materials containing toxic substances can compromise human health, particularly for women. Many of these common building materials are made from fossil fuels, which also contribute to climate change. Addressing toxic exposure provides a tangible and almost immediate way to protect our health while simultaneously helping to mitigate climate change—a crisis that may seem abstract in our daily lives but is closely linked to the materials we use in constructing our homes and living spaces. By reducing the use of fossil fuels and their byproducts, we can improve both human health and environmental sustainability.

Parsons Healthy Materials Lab envisions a world where toxics are removed from building products, where healthier materials are affordable, and all people live in homes that don’t make them sick. Healthy materials matter. 

Our goal is to address key vulnerabilities in a woman’s life—from utero to adulthood—by sharing our research, empowering women with the information that allows them to make the best informed decisions. We also share affordable, healthy alternatives to the common building products that have been hurting us.

By advocating for healthier homes and reducing toxic exposures, we can ensure that current and future generations thrive in spaces that support their growth. We prioritize the health of women today to lay the foundation for a healthier, safer world, where every home is a sanctuary for well-being.

Sources:
Grandjean, P. and Landrigan, P. J. “Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity,” 2014, The Lancet Neurology, 13(3), 330-338. Retrieved March 3, 2025 from www.doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3.
Landrigan, P. J. and Etzel, R. A. “Textbook of Children’s Environmental Health,” 2013, Oxford University Press.
Landrigan, P. J. and Goldman, L. R. “Children’s Vulnerability to Toxic Chemicals: A Challenge and Opportunity to Strengthen Health and Environmental Policy,” 2011, Health Affairs, 30(5), 842-850. Retrieved March 4, 2025 from www.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0151. 
United Nations. “Implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes,” 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2025 from www.documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/210/45/pdf/n2421045.pdf.
World Health Organization. “Household air pollution and health,” n.d., World Health Organization. Retrieved January 2, 2025 from www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health.
The unedited blog can be found at www.healthymaterialslab.org/blog/womens-health-healthy-homes-future-generations.