The Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource, or HHEAR, is a program funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to advance understanding of the influence of environment on human health over a lifetime. HHEAR is also funded by ECHO (Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes), a research program, launched by the NIH. HHEAR provides researchers access to high-quality, exposure-assessment services including, state of the art laboratory analysis of biological and environmental samples, statistical analysis, and expert consultation on exposure analysis, study design and data analysis and interpretation. There is no cost to the investigator.
HHEAR measures exposures that cover the breadth of the “exposome,” which encompasses all environmental exposures including chemical, physical, and biological stressors, as well as lifestyle and social environments, from conception through adulthood.
HHEAR is designed to provide researchers access to the full range of environmental exposures assessment services for their NIH-funded epidemiological and clinical health studies, including:
NIEHS funded the CHEAR program from 2015-2019 to provide NIH researchers access to laboratory and statistical analysis services for adding exposure assessment to their studies of children’s health. Moving forward, the CHEAR program has been replaced by HHEAR.
Exposure to OPE can be measured by quantifying their metabolites in urine, or parent compounds in environmental samples, such as indoor air, hand wipes, house dust or wristbands.
Free and bound forms of environmental phenols exist, as the parent phenols are metabolized or conjugated prior to excretion in urine.
Exposure to PBDE and other BFR can be measured by quantifying the parent chemicals or their metabolites in plasma, serum or urine, or in environmental samples, such as house dust or wristbands.
