Left panel exhibits possible and potential chemical exposures posed by the occupations that make use of the best variety of immigrant girls within the U.S., whereas proper panel exhibits the possible and potential exposures posed by the U.S. Credit score: Journal of Publicity Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-025-00808-9
Many immigrant girls within the U.S. work in jobs which will expose them to chemical substances linked to breast most cancers, in accordance with a brand new examine led by Silent Spring Institute. The examine is among the many first to look at how job-related chemical exposures could contribute to breast most cancers danger amongst foreign-born employees, particularly in jobs with fewer well being and security protections.
Printed within the Journal of Publicity Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the findings might assist inform insurance policies to cut back dangerous exposures for ladies employees, whereas additionally deepening understanding of how sure occupations put girls at elevated danger of breast most cancers.
“Most occupational health research has focused on men, leaving a significant knowledge gap in what we know about the risks for women, especially immigrant women,” says lead creator Dr. Kristin Knox, a analysis scientist at Silent Spring. “We wanted to explore whether the types of jobs immigrant women hold could help explain why some groups experience higher breast cancer rates after moving to the U.S.”
Silent Spring researchers and their colleagues at College of California, Berkeley and College of California, San Francisco, analyzed U.S. Census information to establish the commonest occupations held by immigrant girls. They then matched these jobs with information from the Girls’s Occupations and Threat from Chemical compounds Undertaking, which tracks occupations in California involving publicity to chemical substances related to breast most cancers.
In line with the examine’s findings, the commonest jobs held by immigrant girls embody home cleaners, nurses, cashiers, janitors, and care aides. Amongst these jobs, home cleaners and nurses face the very best potential chemical exposures. Widespread chemical substances embody fragrances, cleansing brokers, pesticides, phthalates, antimicrobials, and alkylphenols, a lot of that are endocrine disruptors that intrude with hormones in ways in which might result in breast most cancers.
“Immigrant women are overrepresented in many of the jobs we identified as high-risk,” says Knox. “This means they are not only more likely to be exposed to hazardous substances, but also more likely to experience long-term health consequences tied to their work.”
The analysis staff additionally discovered disparities based mostly on language and schooling. Immigrant girls with larger ranges of schooling and stronger English expertise had been extra prone to work in lower-exposure jobs, similar to accountants, customer support representatives, and software program builders. These with much less schooling and restricted English had been extra typically employed in high-exposure occupations.
“Immigrant women face unique barriers to avoiding toxic exposures at work—including language barriers, and fear of speaking out due to undocumented status or job insecurity,” says co-author Erin Carerra, a registered nurse at UCSF. “It’s important to understand the health risks they face so we can ensure all workers, regardless of background, are protected from harmful chemicals that could make them sick.”
The examine is the primary section of a broader initiative. Subsequent, the researchers might be amassing publicity measurements from girls in these high-risk occupations. Contributors will put on silicone wristbands that monitor chemical substances within the air, present urine samples for chemical evaluation, and take part in interviews to share their experiences with office hazards and perceive their challenges.
Knox and her staff hope the mission will result in stronger office protections. As an illustration, hospitals might change practices to cut back exposures to harsh disinfectants and dangerous supplies. Home employees and their employers may benefit from data on safer merchandise and entry non-toxic alternate options.
Extra data:
Ok. E. Knox et al, Breast cancer-related occupational exposures going through immigrant girls, Journal of Publicity Science & Environmental Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41370-025-00808-9
Supplied by
Silent Spring Institute
Quotation:
Widespread jobs held by immigrant girls could put them at elevated danger of breast most cancers (2025, October 24)
retrieved 24 October 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-10-common-jobs-held-immigrant-women.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Aside from any honest dealing for the aim of personal examine or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
