ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

NIEHS

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, also known as NIEHS, is a special place where scientists study how the environment can affect our health. The environment includes things like the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Sometimes, certain things in the environment can be harmful to our bodies and make us sick.

At the NIEHS, scientists work hard to understand how these harmful things in the environment can affect us. They do lots of experiments and research to figure out the answers to important questions, like why some people get sick from pollution or chemicals while others do not.

One thing that scientists at the NIEHS study is how the air we breathe can affect our health. They look at things like pollution, which is when the air gets dirty with harmful things like smoke or chemicals. They want to know how breathing in this dirty air can make people sick or cause problems with their lungs or heart.

Another thing that scientists at the NIEHS study is how the water we drink can affect our health. They look at things like chemicals or pollutants that can get into the water. They want to know if drinking this polluted water can make us sick or cause problems with our bodies.

Scientists at the NIEHS also study how the food we eat can affect our health. They look at things like pesticides, which are chemicals that are used to keep bugs away from our fruits and vegetables. They want to know if eating food with these pesticides can be harmful to us or cause problems with our bodies.

The NIEHS also studies other things that can affect our health, like radiation from the sun or the radiation from electronic devices. They want to know if these things can be harmful to our bodies and what we can do to protect ourselves.

All the research that the scientists at the NIEHS do is really important because it helps us understand how the things in our environment can affect our health. This knowledge can then be used to make our environment safer and healthier for everyone.

So, the NIEHS is like a special school for scientists who want to learn about how the environment can make us sick or affect our bodies. They do lots of experiments and research to figure out the answers to important questions and help make the world a healthier place for everyone.