The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) published a blog item on February 22, 2024, announcing its Chemical Exposure Action Map, a tool “designed to spur the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to transform the assessment of risks posed by toxic chemicals in our communities.” EDF states that the map focuses on multiple high-priority chemicals, highlighting the potential for cumulative risks. EDF notes that when conducting risk assessments under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA typically considers the exposures and risks of one chemical at a time. The Chemical Exposure Action Map “emphasizes the need for a more holistic evaluation that mirrors the real-world scenarios of communities facing exposures from multiple chemicals and various sources.” According to EDF, the map focuses on three major health categories — cancer, harm to pregnant women and infants (developmental harm), and asthma — “revealing how communities are cumulatively exposed to chemicals that contribute to these health risks.”
