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Bruce Lanphear

@blanphear.bsky.social

47 followers 16 following 28 posts

For over 30 years, I’ve been studying how invisible poisons—lead, air pollution, fluoride, pesticides—damage human health. I’ve helped shape policies, raise alarms, and remind people that when it comes to toxic chemicals, no dose is safe. .. more

Environmental science 61%

Geography 15%

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Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · 11d

In the 1940s, the sugar industry faced a crisis. Research was mounting that sugar was driving the epidemic of tooth decay, but reducing sugar consumption was unthinkable for an industry built on sales. So industry leaders pulled off a sleight of hand worthy of Big Tobacco.

How Big Sugar pushed fluoride — new study alleges a century of spin

The sugar industry and companies that make sweet drinks and foods have spent nearly a century downplaying sugar’s role in health problems and distorting the science around fluoride — and the practice ...

www.thenewlede.org

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · 11d

The Fluoride Experiment
For decades, Americans have been told that adding fluoride to our drinking water prevents tooth decay. But what if there’s another side to the story—one that involves corporate money, manipulated science, and a policy that may be doing more harm than good?

THE FLUORIDE EXPERIMENT

How the Sugar Industry Used Fluoridation as a Smokescreen

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · 25d

Breakthroughs in Medicine
We often think of medical breakthroughs as new drugs, devices, or diagnostic tests—things we can hold, prescribe, or patent. But revolutions in medicine often begin not with a new molecule, but with a new mindset. It’s not just what we see; it’s how we see it.

Breakthroughs in Medicine

Seeing the World through an Environmental Lens

open.substack.com

Reposted by Jonathan J. Buonocore

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Sep 9

The Science of Delay
The lesson of PFAS is the same lesson we should have learned from lead, asbestos, and air pollution: if we wait until the evidence is definitive, we’ve waited too long.

The Science of Delay

Why we wait until millions are harmed by toxic chemicals before we act

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Sep 2

Which Side Are You On?
The line I draw is with scientists who pretend to be independent while secretly cashing checks from the industries they defend. They don’t just betray themselves—they corrode trust in science itself.

Which Side Are You On?

Finding Common Ground in an Age of Tribalism

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 26

The Chronicles of Lead Toxicity
We know what is typical in a world saturated with lead. But true normal—of health, behavior, intelligence—may have slipped away long ago, buried in the layers of ice, etched into tree rings, and written in our bones.

The Chronicles of Lead Toxicity

A History Cast in Fire, Frozen in Ice

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 23

A Thousand Thanks
One of the unexpected thrills of Substack has been the conversations it sparks. Some of you write thoughtful comments, others send quiet emails, and some simply open and read each post. All of it matters. Writing can be solitary, but this space has never felt lonely.

A Thousand Thanks

Six months, 1000 readers and a community that matters

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 19

There’s a reason Eric Topol stands at the forefront of modern medicine: he combines a critical eye for solid evidence with an uncommon openness to new ideas.

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 19

When science that threatens powerful interests is ignored, the public notices—even if they don’t know the details. The irony is that ignoring inconvenient science doesn’t just harm public health—it erodes the very trust needed to mobilize public health measures in the future.

“Follow the Science”— or Just the Convenient Parts?

We Keep Ignoring the Warnings at the Cost of Lives—and Trust

open.substack.com

Reposted by Bruce P. Lanphear

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · Aug 17

Things you might not know about chronic, low-level lead exposure and heart disease, including the lead-estrogen hypothesis
"In 2019, a total of 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular disease were attributed to lead exposure"
Learn from @blanphear.bsky.social
erictopol.substack.com/p/is-chronic...

Chronic Lead Exposure, a Risk Factor for Heart Disease

Plus: My Recommendations for Reducing Risk of Heart Disease

erictopol.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 16

Industry loves to say, ‘The dose makes the poison.’ But what if that’s a lie that’s been poisoning policy for decades?

Industry loves to say, ‘The dose makes the poison.’ But what if that’s a lie that’s been poisoning policy for decades?

Ken Cook talks with Dr. Bruce Lanphear about how a 500-year-old mantra still shields polluters—and why tiny doses can cause massive harm."

open.substack.com

Reposted by Bruce P. Lanphear

PSGRNZ @psgrnz.bsky.social · Aug 16

🔥HUGE 🔥🔥 interview with @blanphear.bsky.social public health physician & paediatric epidemiologist.

Chemical Exposures & the Toxic Risks. Making Sense of Science, Public Health, & Economic Benefit.

#DoHaD #lead #pesticides #fluoride #pollution #babies #brains
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgB9...

Bruce Lanphear Chemical Exposures & Risks. Making Sense of Science, Public Health & Economic Benefit

YouTube video by Physicians & Scientists for Global Responsibility

www.youtube.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 14

Bruce talks with EWG's Ken Cook to take apart the lingering myth that “the dose makes the poison” – a chemical industry claim that there can be safe levels of toxic exposure. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGF...

EWG's Ken Cook interviews Dr. Bruce Lanphear

YouTube video by Plagues, Pollution & Poverty

www.youtube.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 12

The ADHD Epidemic We Choose to Ignore
We found that 8.7% of children had ADHD in a national study. That was striking enough. We also attributed one in three cases of ADHD in US children to two toxic chemicals. These weren’t obscure exposures, this was everyday life in America.

The ADHD Epidemic We Choose to Ignore

A Preventable Epidemic of Staggering Proportions

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 12

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Ken Cook of EWG. Few people have done more to expose the dangers of toxic chemicals. We dug into the old adage “the dose makes the poison”—and why it doesn’t always hold up. Please listen while you walk around the park or enjoy a beverage before dinner.

Ken Cook @ewgprez.bsky.social · Aug 12

EWG scientists work to identify potential health harms from chemical exposure in everyday products so that consumers can make safer choices—and to debunk the myth that “the dose makes the poison.” Dr. Bruce Lanphear and I discuss why even low-level exposures can be harmful. @blanphear.bsky.social

“The dose makes the poison” is outdated

YouTube video by Environmental Working Group (EWG)

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Bruce P. Lanphear

Ken Cook @ewgprez.bsky.social · Aug 12

EWG scientists work to identify potential health harms from chemical exposure in everyday products so that consumers can make safer choices—and to debunk the myth that “the dose makes the poison.” Dr. Bruce Lanphear and I discuss why even low-level exposures can be harmful. @blanphear.bsky.social

“The dose makes the poison” is outdated

YouTube video by Environmental Working Group (EWG)

www.youtube.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 7

I won't be able to attend Indivisible Georgia Coalition's event, “Rally: Sound Science Saves Lives” in Atlanta, Goergia—but I wholeheartedly support it.

Rally: Sound Science Saves Lives · Mobilize

Science and public research are under attack in this country. Indiscriminate cuts to federal research agencies and political interference are causing research studies to be paused, programs halted, an...

www.mobilize.us

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Aug 5

THE CANCER EXPRESS
They are not going to New Delhi to visit family or conduct business. They are going to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences—to be treated for cancer. This train has a name. The locals call it the Cancer Express.

THE CANCER EXPRESS

The Hidden Cost of India’s Green Revolution

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Jun 24

The Most Honorable Kind of Work
The most honorable contributions are those offered without the expectation of recognition, status, or repayment. They are made for the sake of truth, justice, or human progress—regardless of whether anyone notices.

The Most Honorable Kind of Work

On legacy, humility, and the quiet power of doing good work

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Jun 21

Lead by Mary Oliver
Here is a story
to break your heart.
Are you willing?

Lead by Mary Oliver

Here is a story to break your heart. Are you willing?

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Jun 17

We need a story that reminds us our lives are stitched to the soil, the air, and the water—that every breath, every bite, every sip binds us to the earth and to one another.

The Smelter Next Door

How Stories Brings Science to Life

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · May 23

Confessions of a Toxicologist

I am guilty.

Confessions of a Toxicologist

Complicity isn't just institutional. It's personal, too. This is a reckoning—not just for one toxicologist, but for any of us who've waited to act or speak out.

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · May 13

Ancestral Redundancy Genealogy changed how I move through the world. I can’t go a day without reading about or meeting someone whose surname appears in the last 10 generations of my ancestry, a constant reminder of how connected we all are.

Ancestral Redundancy

The Tangled Branches of Our Family Trees

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 30

Toxic Toys and the Death of Oversight

The people who work in public health agencies are the last line of defense between you and a very dangerous kind of freedom. The freedom to sell anything, no matter how toxic. The freedom to ignore evidence. The freedom to look the other way.

Toxic Toys and the Death of Oversight

A Compelling Case for Stronger Public Health

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 24

What the New York Times Keeps Missing

If the cause is framed as genetic or behavioral, the solution stays in the clinic. But if the cause includes toxic chemicals, prevention becomes possible.

What the New York Times Keeps Missing

And Why it Matters More Than Ever

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 19

All Work is Sacred, but it Shouldn’t Come with a Death Sentence.

All Work is Sacred, but it Shouldn’t Come with a Death Sentence.

You're Gonna Miss NIOSH When It's Gone

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 12

These deaths aren’t random. They’re regulatory failures. They are, quite literally, collateral damage.

Collateral Damage

The Hidden Cost of Living in a Toxic World

open.substack.com

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 12

Why do we invest against our own best, long-term interests?

UN Environment Programme @unep.org · Apr 12

Nearly $7 trillion USD is invested annually in activities harming nature, while investments in Nature-based Solutions total only around $200 billion.

It’s time to flip these numbers.

Check UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature for more data: financefornature.unep.org

A tree split in half shows a big gap in spending. On the left, fewer dollar signs for nature-based solutions ($200 billion). On the right, many dollar signs for harmful activities ($7 trillion).

Bruce Lanphear @blanphear.bsky.social · Apr 12

Genes feel safe—impersonal, fixed, beyond our control. The environment is messier. It forces us to ask harder questions about responsibility. It leads us to industry practices, weak regulations, and who should be held accountable.

Rethinking Autism’s Origins

Beyond the Genome

open.substack.com

Reposted by Helmut Hillebrand, Bruce P. Lanphear

UN Environment Programme @unep.org · Apr 12

Nearly $7 trillion USD is invested annually in activities harming nature, while investments in Nature-based Solutions total only around $200 billion.

It’s time to flip these numbers.

Check UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature for more data: financefornature.unep.org

A tree split in half shows a big gap in spending. On the left, fewer dollar signs for nature-based solutions ($200 billion). On the right, many dollar signs for harmful activities ($7 trillion).