Silent Spring Institute Inc.

“A copy of the form 990 is distributed to all board members for review and approval before it is filed.”

“Silent spring institute annually distributes a conflict of interest questionnaire to be completed and returned by all key employees and board of director members.”

“The executive director's salary is reviewed and approved annually by the board of directors at an executive session meeting. Salaries of executive directors at comparable agencies are used to determine the executive director's salary.”

“Governing documents, policies and statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Founded in 1994, silent spring institute is a leading scientific research organization dedicated to uncovering the links between chemicals in our everyday environment and women's health, with a focus on breast cancer prevention. With nearly 160 peer-reviewed scientific articles to date, the institute's research supports the development of safer chemicals, market shift away from toxic chemicals in products, and more health-protective regulatory policies. Our accomplishments over the past year include: chemicals and cancer: cancer and the environment forums: in february, 2022, silent spring partnered with dana-farber cancer institute and other institutions and organizations to host a series of three 2-hour workshops to help clinicians be prepared to talk about the effects of environmental exposures on cancer risks. Over 600 clinicians, community members, scientists, and others registered for the forums, and more than 250 clinicians received continuing education credits (cecs). Cancer & environment forums 2022 represented a huge shift in which major cancer researchers came together with silent spring to join forces in cancer prevention education. Safer chemicals program: the goal of the safer chemicals program is to shift the burden so that it's no longer on consumers to reduce their exposures to toxics, but on companies and regulators to ensure the chemicals that make their way into consumer products are safe. As part of the program, we published a new review in current environmental health reports, in which we highlight the latest science linking exposure to toxic chemicals not only with breast cancer, but also with early breast development, problems breastfeeding, and increased breast density. The review points out that current methods used by regulators to screen chemicals for toxic effects do not adequately consider their effects on the breast, especially during vulnerable time periods. The authors outline different ways in which regulators could improve their testing methods, and therefore their ability to identify chemicals that harm the breast so that they can be properly regulated. Pfas research: pfas-reach: to address health concerns from exposure to pfas in drinking water and to support impacted communities, we launched pfas-reach (research, education, and action for community health). Funded by niehs, the project is led by silent spring in collaboration with northeastern university and michigan state university. We continue to recruit participants for our children's health study, which is investigating the effects of pfas on the immune systems of children in hyannis, ma and at the pease international tradeport in portsmouth, nh, two communities that have been exposed to contaminated drinking water. We also maintain the pfas exchange, an online resource to support consumers, policymakers, firefighters, and clinicians. In july, the national academies of sciences, engineering, and medicine (nasem) released a report that called for expanded pfas testing for people with a history of elevated exposures to pfas. The goal of the report is to inform cdc's guidance for clinicians. In developing its recommendations, nasem cited our medical screening guidance for clinicians and pfas-impacted communities as a model resource. Massachusetts pfas & your health study: the massachusetts pfas and your health study is a five-year project led by silent spring institute in collaboration with harvard t.h. Chan school of public health and eastern research group. We are investigating the relationship between pfas contaminants in drinking water and their effects on human health. Findings from the study will inform policies to protect public health and support communities in reducing their exposures. It is one of seven projects funded by the u.s. Centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) and the agency for toxic substances and disease registry (atsdr) as part of the atsdr multi-site health study on pfas. The study is focusing on two comm”

“Detox me app: our popular detox me app is being used in multiple research studies and projects. The app has over 270 tips for reducing toxic exposures, including policy-level actions and links to advocacy, has reached more than 337,000 downloads to date. We are using detox me in the preconception intervention program for healthy reproduction (piper) study with harvard university. This pilot program is recruiting 30 couples attempting pregnancy through a boston fertility clinic. The couples will use the app to reduce exposures to phthalates and phenols during the preconception period with the goal of improving outcomes. In another collaboration with harvard, we are using detox me to reduce exposures to indoor air pollution in boston homes. The goal of the project is to better understand how real-time air monitors and educational models can be used to promote personal mitigation. Part of the study will assess whether using detox me alters behaviors in a way that improves indoor air quality. Report back, sharing chemical exposure results with study participants: at silent spring, we believe that participants in environmental health studies have a right to know their personal exposure results, and that even uncertain results can prove useful and empowering. As a pioneer of "report-back and a leader in developing innovative methods for sharing chemical exposure and biomonitoring data with study participants, we continue to investigate the relationship between receiving results and a participant's plans to learn about environmental chemicals, share information, and take action individually and collectively to reduce exposures.”

“Contracted services: program service expenses 23,742. Management and general expenses 10,149. Fundraising expenses 14,745. Total expenses 48,636. Recruitment: program service expenses 1,245. Management and general expenses 959. Fundraising expenses 704. Total expenses 2,908.”

“The organization has a committee that assumes responsibility for oversight for the audit of its financial statements and selection of an independent accountant. This process has not changed during the year.”