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Date: Thursday, April 4, 1996 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lou Rozier,NIEHS,(919)541-1993
As Earth Day (April 21) rolls around, you may be one of those people who are less interested in the environment's impact on owls and deer than on its impact on you. Have we got your number! It's 1-800-NIEHS-94, the free information service --EnviroHealth -- of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science. That's the place to call if you have questions on the impact of radon, global warming, ozone, oxygenated fuels, household or agricultural pesticides, lawn products or other environmental factors on you and your family.
You can reach a real person at EnviroHealth from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and record your question or request at off-hours. Like NIEHS, EnviroHealth is at Research Triangle Park, N.C. You can reach the service at envirohealth@niehs.nih.gov or fax your question to 1-919-361-9408. EnviroHealth has hundreds of factsheets and is headed by a board-certified toxicologist. Current events such as chemical spills and other disasters, water contamination, well testing, breast cancer and food safety are all covered by EnviroHealth with an environmental slant. Students and educators use the service -- and some queries come from Europe, Canada, Mexico and Japan. Typical questions include:
"What are environmental estrogens?"
"How can I get my well tested for germs and viruses?"
"What's the cancer risk of methylene chloride from our nearby factory?"
"Are power lines near my home a danger?"
"I have a baby in my home -- and I also have ants. How can I get rid of the ants without exposing the baby to harm?"