Unpacking the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Initiative: Environmental Exposures and the Future of Child Health Policy

Key Findings from the MAHA Report — Environmental Exposures 

Among the findings presented to guide future policy and research, environmental exposure is identified as a significant concern. The report highlights certain industrial chemicals — commonly found in agriculture, consumer products and food packaging — as potential contributors to chronic illness in children. It also explores links between early-childhood exposure to these substances, particularly endocrine (hormone)-disrupting compounds (EDCs), and increased risks of developmental disorders and chronic disease. 

These concerns reflect a broader body of research linking EDCs such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates — common in plastics and cosmetics — to developmental, reproductive and metabolic health effects. The World Health Organization also has noted the endocrine-disrupting potential of organophosphate pesticides and their association with neurodevelopmental delays and hormonal interference in children. 

The report notes that widely used herbicides and insecticides, among other chemical compounds, have been detected in children’s blood and urine samples at levels described as “alarming,” particularly during critical developmental stages such as infancy and puberty. Studies cited in the report include examples such as glyphosate (GLY), atrazine and chlorpyrifos (CPF), which the report identifies as common exposure pathways. 

CPF and GLY are among the most commonly used organophosphate insecticides and herbicides worldwide. While acknowledging that most food samples tested by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program in 2023 complied with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety limits, the report questions whether current regulatory frameworks sufficiently account for the combined effects of multiple chemical exposures. It recommends updated toxicological methods and more comprehensive studies to improve risk assessment and public health protections. 

Notably, the EPA has already taken steps in this direction. In May 2024, the agency finalized a rule updating how it evaluates the safety of chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This update aims to enhance public health and environmental protection by refining the agency’s chemical risk assessment procedures. For example, the rule mandates the use of the best available science, requires comprehensive reviews of existing studies and allows the agency to incorporate new scientific methods without requiring additional rule changes. 

However, since the release of the report, the effects of the MAHA Commission’s related recommendations have drawn criticism from some stakeholders in the agriculture sector, both nationally and in Kansas.