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School of Public Health and Health Professions
University at Buffalo (UB)
School of Public Health and Health Professions
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health
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The Tonawanda Health Study: Health Effects and Coke Oven Emissions from Tonawanda Coke

This project will conduct a prospective cohort study and a retrospective occupational cohort study in response to an airborne environmental contamination affecting several communities.

Title: The Tonawanda Health Study: An Epidemiologic Study of Health Effects and Coke Oven Emissions from Tonawanda Coke

Principal Investigator: Matthew Bonner, PhD, MPH

Co-investigators: Lina Mu, MD, PhD, and James Olson, PhD

Funding Agency: U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York

Period: 09/06/16 - 09/05/25

Abstract: The Tonawanda Coke Corporation was convicted of illegally releasing coke oven gas, a hazardous air pollutant and known human carcinogen, into the environment.

In response to concerns about potential adverse health effects due to these coke oven emissions, the project will involve 3 components: 1) conducting a large prospective cohort study of up to 38,000 residents of the Town and City of Tonawanda and Grand Island, 2) conducting a retrospective occupational cohort study of Tonawanda Coke Corporation employees, and 3) establishing a Center for Environmental Health Education.

Division of Environmental Health Sciences

The multidisciplinary Division of Environmental Health Sciences brings together students and faculty from across UB to integrate perspectives from a wide range of research areas.

Researcher Spotlight

ean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, principal investigator of UB’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Center, discusses the significance of the WHI, one of the longest and most comprehensive studies ever done on postmenopausal women.

Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, principal investigator of UB’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Center, discusses the significance of the WHI, one of the longest and most comprehensive studies ever done on postmenopausal women.