About Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice

At a glance

DEHSP prevents exposures to environmental health hazards to improve health in all communities through applied environmental public health science and practice.

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What we do

DEHSP’s mission is supported by surveillance, epidemiology, technical assistance, training, and preparedness activities. The division provides critical environmental health support and funding for environmental health departments and other partners with similar missions.

Get connected

Resource‎

Learn about the Environmental Health Nexus (EH Nexus)—DEHSP's communication network on environmental public health topics

Organization

DEHSP has five branches and one activity.

  • The Asthma and Air Quality Branch works to reduce asthma morbidity and mortality and nonoccupational human exposure to air pollutants, carbon monoxide, mold, and wildfires.
  • The Climate and Health Activity supports public health agencies as they prepare for the health impacts of a changing climate.
  • The Emerging Environmental Hazards and Health Effects Branch helps health departments respond to environmental public health events, natural disasters, and radiation exposures. The branch also provides oversight to the U.S. chemical weapons elimination program and expertise in epidemiology and medical toxicology to investigate outbreaks.
  • The Environmental Public Health Tracking Branch provides information from a nationwide network of integrated health and environmental data that drives actions to improve community health.
  • The Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch works to eliminate childhood lead poisoning as a public health problem.
  • The Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch advances environmental public health practice to better serve and protect the health of all people in the United States.