Theo Colborn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theo Colborn
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Theo Colborn in 2010
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| Born |
Theodora Emily Decker
March 28, 1927 |
| Died | December 14, 2014 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Rutgers University Western State Colorado University University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Known for | Pioneer in the field of endocrine disrupting chemicals |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology |
| Institutions | University of Florida |
Theodora Emily Colborn (born March 28, 1927 – died December 14, 2014) was an important American scientist. She studied how chemicals in our environment can affect our health. She was especially known for her work on chemicals that mess with our body's hormones. These are called endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Contents
Theo Colborn's Journey in Science
Theo Colborn started her career in a different field. In 1947, she earned a degree in Pharmacy from Rutgers University. After that, she worked as a pharmacist.
Later, she went back to school to study science. In 1981, she earned a master's degree in fresh-water ecology from Western State College of Colorado. This means she studied how living things interact with their environment in lakes and rivers.
Becoming a Doctor of Zoology
At 58 years old, Theo Colborn earned her PhD in Zoology in 1985. She studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her studies included epidemiology (how diseases spread), toxicology (how poisons affect living things), and water chemistry.
After her PhD, she worked with the Conservation Foundation. She helped with a book called Great Lakes, Great Legacy?. This book looked at the environment of the Great Lakes.
Wildlife and Chemical Studies
Theo Colborn also started and led the Wildlife and Contaminants Program. This program was at the World Wildlife Fund in the U.S. She focused on how pollution affects animals.
In 1991, she brought together 21 scientists from different fields. They met at a special conference in Wisconsin. This meeting became known as "Wingspread." They discussed how chemicals in the environment affect human health.
Advisory Roles and Research
Theo Colborn was a trusted expert. She served on many important groups. These included panels for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She advised them on how to test for chemicals that disrupt hormones.
She wrote and spoke a lot about how chemicals affect babies before they are born. This included studies on wildlife, lab animals, and humans. She showed how early exposure to man-made chemicals could harm development.
Founding TEDX
In 2003, when she was 76, Theo Colborn started a non-profit group. It was called The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, or TEDX. This group helps people understand how chemicals in the environment affect health.
TEDX shares information with scientists, doctors, and the public. It helps everyone learn about endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Focus on Natural Gas Operations
Later in her life, Theo Colborn also studied public health issues related to gas development. This is often called "fracking." In 2007, she spoke to the U.S. House of Representatives. She said that companies should tell everyone what chemicals they use to get natural gas.
She continued this work until she died. She even published a study on air quality near natural gas sites. She also helped create a course for doctors about the health effects of natural gas operations.
Understanding Endocrine Disruption
Theo Colborn's research in 1988 looked at the Great Lakes environment. She found that top predators, like birds, fish, and mammals, were passing harmful chemicals to their babies. These chemicals were called persistent, man-made chemicals.
These chemicals were hurting the development of the babies' organs. This happened even before they were born or hatched.
The Birth of a Term
Because of this evidence, Theo Colborn organized the "Wingspread" meeting in 1991. Scientists from 15 different areas shared their research. They talked about how chemicals could affect health across generations.
During this important meeting, the term "endocrine disruption" was created. This term describes how chemicals can interfere with the body's hormone system.
Awards and Recognitions
Theo Colborn received many awards for her important work. Here are some of them:
- The Jonathan Foreman Award from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in 2014.
- The Jean and Leslie Douglas Pearl Award in 2013.
- The Theo Colborn Award at the Twenty-Seventh International Neurotoxicology Conference in 2011.
- An Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2011.
- A Medal from the French National Museum of Natural History in 2011.
- The Swedish Goteborg Prize for the Environment and Sustainability in 2008.
- The TIME Global Environmental Heroes Award in 2007.
- A Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council on Science and the Environment in 2007.
- The Rachel Carson Award from The Center for Science in the Public Interest in 2004.
- The International Blue Planet Prize from Japan in 2000.
- The Norwegian International Rachel Carson Prize in 1999.
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Women Leadership in the Environment Award in 1997.
- The National Conservation Achievement Award in Science from the National Wildlife Federation in 1994.
- The Pew Scholars Award in Environment and Conservation from 1993 to 1996.
Theo Colborn's Personal Life
Theo Colborn was married and had four children. She and her husband owned pharmacies in New Jersey. In 1964, they moved to a farm in western Colorado. There, they raised sheep.
After a change in her personal life in the 1970s, she became very interested in environmental health. She started doing field work for the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory. She examined water for harmful chemicals released by mining.
Later in her life, Theo Colborn developed a lung disease. She needed oxygen to help her breathe. For many years, she also suffered from an undiagnosed health condition called coeliac disease. This was finally identified when she was in her late fifties. After changing her diet, she felt much better.
