EWG scientists share their research at scientific conferences, where it is scrutinized by the wider research community. Scientific discourse strengthens the rigor of EWG’s work. It’s also foundational to our scientists’ willingness to challenge the status quo when industry and government fail to protect public health.
This page houses EWG scientists’ conference posters and presentations.
The Effect of Typical Consumer Washing on Pesticide Residue Levels in ‘Ready to Eat’ Produce
Dayna de Montagnac, Alexis Temkin, Alexa Friedman, Olga Naidenko
This research reviews the effectiveness of washing produce under tap water as a way to lower pesticide residue, a key influence on public health and consumer confidence.
A literature review of 36 studies found that washing with tap water for five minutes or less removes about 50% of residue. Factors affecting residue removal include the pesticide's octanol-water coefficient and pre-harvest interval influence.
A comparison of two agencies’ findings of pesticide residue concentrations on unwashed produce – the Agriculture Department and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation – showed mostly insignificant differences in pesticide concentrations.
These findings suggest the need for more robust datasets and additional methods to improve pesticide removal beyond washing with tap water alone.
PRESENTATION: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/Produce_Washing_ISES_Poster_24_final_LT_af_DA.pptx.pdf
PFAS Treatment as an Opportunity for Broader Drinking Water Improvements: Evidence from U.S. Water Systems
Sydney S. Evans, Varun Subramaniam*, Anna Cullen, Chris Campbell, Olga V. Naidenko, David Q. Andrews
International Society of Exposure Science and International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, Joint Meeting in Atlanta, August 2025
Because of the potential for simultaneous removal of diverse co-occurring contaminants, there are broad benefits of installing technologies in U.S. water systems for the removal of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS .
EWG presented evidence that co-removal benefits of PFAS filtration extend beyond disinfection byproducts. The findings highlight the need for more comprehensive and health-protective accounting of co-occurring contaminant reductions in setting legal limits.
PRESENTATION: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/EWG_Poster_ISES-2025_Varun.pdf
Feeding Consumer Interest in Reducing Microplastic Exposure: A Review of Food Contamination Studies
Samantha S. Romanick, Ph.D., Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., Olga V. Naidenko, Ph.D., David Q. Andrews, Ph.D.
Microplastics Exposure and Human Health Conference, University of New Mexico, Jan. 11-14, 2026
Ingestion is now recognized as a primary route of human microplastic exposure, motivating a clearer understanding of microplastics present in foods regularly consumed. EWG developed a consumer-oriented guide encouraging choices that may reduce some dietary microplastic exposure, emphasizing fresh, locally sourced, and package-free food, where accessible.
PRESENTATION: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/EWG_Poster_SRomanick_01.26_C03.pdf
Toxic Threads: Public Health Implications of Environmental Chemicals in Textiles
Alexa Friedman, Ph.D. with Samantha Schildroth, MPH, Ph.D (Boston University School of Public Health)
International Society of Exposure Science and International Society of Environmental Epidemiology joint meeting in Atlanta, August 2025
Clothing represents a modifiable source of chemical exposure, and further research is needed to estimate human exposure, investigate health effects in epidemiological studies, and develop metrics to measure clothing use. This poster summarized the available literature to date and recommends directions for future research.
PRESENTATION: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/EWG_Poster_ISES-2025_Alexa_C02.pdf
Simultaneous Removal of Co-occurring Contaminants Reduces Drinking Water-Attributed Cancer Risk: A United States Case Study
Tasha Stoiber, Sydney Evans*, Chris Campbell, David Q. Andrews, and Olga V. Naidenko
International Society of Exposure Science and International Society of Environmental Epidemiology joint meeting in Atlanta, August 2025
Removal of co-occurring contaminants produces significantly greater potential benefit estimates than evaluation of one contaminant at a time. EWG presented a framework for calculating avoidable lifetime cancer cases from simultaneously reducing hexavalent chromium and arsenic concentrations in drinking water using U.S. data as a case study.
POSTER: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/EWG_Poster_ISES-2025_Sydney.pptx.pdf
Advancing Public Access to Drinking Water Contaminant Data: The EWG Tap Water Database
Tasha Stoiber, Sydney Evans*, Chris Campbell, Olga V. Naidenko and David Q. Andrews
International Society of Exposure Science and International Society of Environmental Epidemiology joint meeting in Atlanta August 2025
The EWG Tap Water Database provides a comprehensive, easy-to-use tool that reveals what is in the drinking water of nearly 50,000 utilities across the country. By comparing local water quality to health-based standards, rather than just legal limits, this resource empowers people served by those utilities to understand their health risks and advocate for cleaner, safer water.
POSTER: https://static.ewg.org/upload/pdf/EWG_Poster_ISES-2025_Tasha.pptx.pdf