Silent Spring Institute

10/21/2026

Listen to Dr. Jennifer Kay talk about her research on everyday chemicals that increase breast cancer risk -- from pesticides, to personal care products, to plastics. (interview starts at 7:04)

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, help sustain this vital research by donating to Silent Spring Institute.

🙌 Your support helps fund independent science to uncover the preventable causes of cancer and turn evidence into action—for safer products, healthier homes, and a future with less cancer.
Donate today: silentspring.org/donate

Less than ten percent of all breast cancer cases are the result of inherited genes. That means that most cases can be related to environmental exposures, including chemicals in our food, our air, our water, and the products that surround us.In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about a new repo...

10/16/2026

💡 Heard about PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and wondered what they mean for your health? Your doctor may be wondering too.

Our research team and community partners are offering two free continuing education courses for healthcare professionals, with AMA PRA Category 1 credit:

1. “Non-stick Nuisance”: The foundations for PFAS medical monitoring, including how to order blood tests, important sources of exposure, and potential health impacts. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/2nfnkrkx

2. “How to Talk to Your Patients about PFAS and Their Health”: Practical tips for primary care, including what questions to ask, how to document cases, and a model consult with a concerned patient. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/29eefua5

👉 Share this post with your doctor, nurse practitioner, or local clinic.

Funded by the RWJFoundation. Learn more at the PFAS Exchange: https://tinyurl.com/3v492ud4

10/15/2026

Reaching for that bottle of Roundup? Hold up! 🛑

A new study from Silent Spring links hundreds of chemicals in pesticides to higher cancer risk. 🔬

🔎 We’ve debunked Five Common Myths about pesticides in a new Tips for Healthier Living post. 🌱

🔗 You can find it at: https://silentspring.org/news/5-pesticide-myths-debunked

10/08/2026

Why are cancer rates increasing among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s? Why is it that two-thirds of these cancers are in women?

💙 As Silent Spring Executive Director Dr. Mary Beth Terry says, "Understanding the environmental drivers of early-onset cancers is one of the most important scientific challenges of our time."

🔬 Silent Spring Institute was founded on the idea that understanding—and preventing cancer—requires us to look beyond the tumor to the world in which that tumor developed.

The chemicals we encounter. The products we use. The food we eat. The air we breathe...

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, invest in prevention by donating to Silent Spring Institute.

🙌 Your support helps fund independent science, advocacy, and education to uncover the preventable causes of cancer and turn evidence into action—for safer products, healthier homes, and a future with less cancer.

Donate today: silentspring.org/donate

10/06/2026

Last week, our community came together for Silent Spring Institute’s Annual Gala around a shared goal: addressing the alarming rise in cancer rates among young adults. 💙

We were honored to recognize environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg with the Susan S. Bailis Champion Award. Her mother, Caroline Kennedy, graciously accepted the award in her memory, sharing Tatiana’s spirit, courage, and optimism for a healthier future.

We also honored Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, president of the National Academy of Medicine, with the Rachel Carson Advocacy Award for her leadership in advocating for women’s health research and bringing prevention to the forefront of medicine and cancer research.

Through stories of loss, resilience, hope, and determination, the evening reminded us of the connections that fuel our work. Together, we also raised critical funds to support Silent Spring’s Early-Onset Breast Cancer Research Program.

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so meaningful. 💙

Learn more about Tatiana’s legacy: https://silentspring.org/support-our-work/gala-celebration-2026/tatiana-schlossberg

For more information about our 2026 gala and to support our work: https://silentspring.org/gala

Stay tuned for more gala highlights! ✨

09/28/2026

"The body does not distinguish between inert and active ingredients, and inactive substances are no less of a danger to human health."

"Another problem lies in hormone-disrupting chemicals causing disease at lower levels of exposure, but not higher. This non-monotonic dose response has led the EPA to dismiss some chemicals’ risks, and ignore that they can cause cancer at low levels."

-- Dr. Jennifer Kay, research scientist at Silent Spring Institute and lead author of a new study on pesticide ingredients and breast cancer risk.

Paper raises questions about safety of food and other products as early onset breast cancer rates surge worldwide

09/25/2026

The Silent Spring 2026 Gala Silent Auction is now LIVE!

Start bidding! Explore a curated selection of food & dining experiences, event tickets, art, jewelry, collectibles, home & garden, and more—with something for everyone! Every bid helps advance Silent Spring’s prevention science and support crucial work toward a future with less cancer.

The auction is open to all, so be sure to share this with your family and friends!

Bidding closes at 9:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, October 1.

See something you love? Don’t wait. Place your bid today!

Visit: onecau.se/_mssrp1

09/24/2026

Excellent piece by Liza Gross for Inside Climate News on our new study examining pesticides and breast cancer risk.

"It’s "really, really shocking" that some of the chemicals produced and released into the environment in the highest volumes are established mammary carcinogens or genotoxic chemicals."

Check it out!

Hundreds of potential breast carcinogens taint everyday consumer products, food, drinking water, medicines, building materials and pesticides, scientists reported.

09/24/2026

Get excited!

In just two days, our Gala Silent Auction will go live. Swipe for a sneak peek at some of the items you’ll be able to bid on!

Looking to treat yourself, plan something special, or take home a great find? You’ll find plenty to bid on, with something for every kind of bidder!

Joining us on October 1? Start bidding now and continue the fun throughout the evening.

For a preview of all the auction items, visit onecau.se/_mssrp1

09/23/2026

A new Silent Spring study, led by Dr. Jennifer Kay, has identified hundreds of chemicals commonly used in pesticide products that could increase the risk of breast cancer. The list includes active pesticide ingredients as well as a significant number of so-called “inert” or inactive ingredients, which typically do not undergo the same level of safety testing. The study highlights a major regulatory blind spot around ingredients used in pesticide formulations.

The study was published today in Environmental Health Perspectives and is part of a larger systematic analysis—the first of its kind—to identify where potential breast cancer-causing chemicals (“BC-Chems”) show up in everyday consumer products, the environment, and the economy, as well as the major sources of exposure.

Learn more:

Majority of chemicals considered “inert” or inactive ingredients that evade safety testing, highlighting a major regulatory blind spot around ingredients used in pesticide formulations.