CHERIsHED Project

The CHERIsHED project aims to better understand the sources and consequences of endocrine disruptor exposure in New Haven. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are a specific group of chemicals that can interfere with the body’s hormone levels. People are exposed to endocrine disruptors from many different sources, including food, water, and the air. Some commonly known endocrine disruptors are lead and BPA. With this project, we will determine what chemicals people in New Haven are exposed to and if exposure differs by neighborhood. We also want to understand how exposure to these chemicals influences infant development since infants are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disruptors.

We value our participants' help in addressing this important question. We pay $40 to mothers who participate to compensate them for their time. Once we have results from the study, we will also give a participants a personalized report of their and their infant’s endocrine disrupting chemical exposure.

Mothers participating in the study collect several samples to help us determine endocrine disruptor exposure. First, participants wear a silicone wristband for 7 days to measure contaminants in the air. Then, they collect a sample of their urine and a sample of their infants. They also collect samples of their household water and breastmilk. After researchers pick up the samples, participants fill out a survey to help the researchers better understand the participant’s work and home life and sources of endocrine disruptor exposure not measured by the samples, like diet.

If you would like to participate, you must meet the following criteria:

• The mother of an infant aged two to four months who was not born preterm (before 37 weeks)
• Breastfeeding your infant
• Currently living in New Haven
• An English or Spanish speaker

Please email the lead researcher at Carlye.Chaney@yale.edu or go to the “Contact” tab if you are interested in participating in this study!