This body of research drew on the methods of natural sciences to understand the impacts of exposures to toxic pollutants on human health. At New York University, Columbia University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology I worked as a laboratory scientist in the field of chemical carcinogenesis, studying the binding of carcinogenic compounds to DNA. In the position of the Director of the Office of Research and Standards at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, DEP, I lead the development of new methods for evaluating environmental toxins for carcinogenic, reproductive, mutagenic and systemically toxic effects. We then applied these methods to develop guidelines for air concentrations of toxic pollutants necessary to protect human health. This Massachusetts Air Toxics Program to this day continues to be the basis for regulating toxic air pollutants in Massachusetts.
In a highly cited 1984 article in the American Journal of Public Health I was one of the first scientists to draw attention to skin absorption as a significant route of entry of water contaminants into the body. During the first few years following this publication the US Environmental Protection Agency incorporated dermal route of exposure into its risk assessment methodologies. I also developed dynamic pharmacokinetic models for skin absorption of environmental toxicants.
In collaboration with Robert Goble at Clark University I conducted an epidemiological study in Poland to test the widely held belief that air pollution in Poland was the key factor in explaining the observed high rates of lung cancer mortality (I falsified this hypothesis).
Related Books
Related articles and book chapters
- Brown, H. S.; Goble, R. L.; Kirschner, H. Social and Environmental Factors in Lung Cancer Mortality in Post-War Poland, Environmental Health Perspectives 1995, 103, 64-70.
- Webler, T.; Brown, H. S. Population Exposure to Tetrachloroethylene via Contaminated Drinking Water Pipes in Massachusetts: A Predictive Model, Archives of Environmental Health 1993, 48, 293-297.
- Brown, H. S.; Kasperson, R. E.; Raymond, S. Trace Pollutants in the Global Environment: A Three Hundred Year Perspective. In B.L. Turner, et al., Eds.; Earth Transformed by Human Action; Cambridge University Press, 1991.
- Brown, H. Management of Carcinogenic Air Emissions: A Case Study of a Power Plant. Journal of American Pollution Control Association 1988, 38: 15-21.
- Shatkin, J.; Brown, H.S. Multicompartment Pharmacokinetic Model for Absorption of Organic Compounds through Skin, Environmental Research 1991, 56, 90-108.
- Kasperson, R. E.; Renn, O.; Slovic, P.; Brown, H. S.; Emel, J. E.; Goble, R.; Kasperson, J. X.; Ratick, S. The Social Amplification of Risk: A Conceptual Framework, Risk Analysis 1988, 10,177-187.
- Brown, H. S.; West, C. R.; Bishop, D. R. Chemical Health Effects Assessment Methodology, Risk Analysis 1987, 7: 389-402.
- Brown, H. S.; Bishop, D.R.; West, C.R. Methodology for Assessing Mutagenic Hazards of Chemicals, Toxicology and Industrial Health 1986, 2, 163-182.
- Brown, H. S.; West, C. R.; Bishop, D. R.; Hicks, L. Methodology for Assessing Carcinogenic Hazards of Chemicals, Toxicology and Industrial Health 1986, 2, 183-203.
- Brown, H. S.; West, C. R.; Bishop, D. R. Methodology for Assessing Developmental and Reproductive Hazards of Chemicals, Toxicology and Industrial Health 1986, 2, 205-218.
- Brown, H. S. A Critical Review of Current Approaches to Determining “How Clean is Clean” at Hazardous Waste Sites, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials 1986, 3, 233-265.
- Brown, H.S., Bishop, D.R. Rowan, C.A. The Role of Skin Absorption as a Route of Exposure for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in Drinking Water. American Journal of Public Health 1984, 74, 479-484.
- Brown, H.S.; Shapiro, R. Conformation of Aromatic Substituted Dinucleoside Phosphates: An Extension of the Base Displacement Theory of Carcinogenesis. Biochemistry 1977, 16, 1229-1235.
- Brown, H. S. Assessment of the Relationship between Pollution and Lung Cancer Mortality in Poland Using Ecological Epidemiological Approach, International Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health 1996, 11, 23-28.
- Shatkin, J.A., H.S. Brown and S. Licht 1995. Composite Graphite Ion Selective Electrode Array Potentiometry for the Detection of Mercury and Other Relevant Ions in Aquatic Systems. Anal. Chem. 67: 1147-1151.
- Brown, H. S.; Goble, R. L. Industrial Development and Population Cancer in Poland. In Levy, B. Ed. Environment and Health in Eastern Europe. Proceedings of the Symposium on Occupational and Environmental Health, Pultusk, Poland, June 29-July 2, 1992, Management Sciences for Health, Boston, 1994.
- Brown, H. S.; Hattis, D. The Role of Skin Absorption as a Route of Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds in Household Tap Water: A Simulated Kinetic Approach, Journal of the American College of Toxicology 1989, 8, 63-75.
- Brown, H. S. Some Approaches to Setting Cleanup Goals at Hazardous Wastes Sites. In Hazardous Waste Site Management: Water Quality Issues. National Research Council, National Academy Press, 1987.
- Brown, H. S.; Goble, R.L.; Tatelbaum, L. Methodology for Assessing Hazards of Contaminants in Seafood, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 1988, 8, 76-101.
- Brown, H. S. A Critical Review of Current Approaches to Determining “How Clean is Clean” at Hazardous Waste Sites, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials 1986, 3, 233-265.
- Brown, H.S. Regulating Environmental Pollutants: A View from a State Agency. In Homburger, F., ed., 1985, Safety Evaluation and Regulation of Chemicals. Volume 2, 40-49. Basel: Karger.
- Brown, H.S. Estimation of Human Daily Dose of Organic Contaminants in Drinking Water. In Homburger, F., ed., 1985, Safety Evaluation and Regulation of Chemicals. Volume 1, 50-57. Basel: Karger.
- Rowan, C.A., Connolly, W.M. and Brown, H.S. An Evaluation of the Use of Occupational Standards for Controlling Toxic Air Pollutants. Journal of Environmental Science and Health B 1984, 19, 611-648.
- Brown, H.S. Jeffrey, A.M.; Weinstein, I.B. Formation of DNA Adducts in 10T1/2 Mouse Embryo Fibroblasts Incubated with Benzo(a)pyrene or Dihydrodiol Oxide Derivatives, Cancer Research 1979, 39, 1673-1677.
- Brown, H.S; Shapiro, R. Preparation of Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Dinucleoside Monophosphates and DNA Modified with Aromatic Residues, Biochim .Biophis. Acta 1977, 475, 241-253.