When doctors talk about breast cancer risk, they tend to focus on that genetics, age and certain lifestyle factors like smoking or drinks– doesn’t work. But a new peer-reviewed study suggests that American immigrant women’s jobs may increase their risk of breast cancer.
Researchers at the Silent Spring Institute, a Massachusetts-based laboratory, compared national employment data with findings from the Women’s Occupational Risk from Chemicals Project to identify which jobs pose the greatest risks of exposure to “breast cancer-relevant chemicals” (BCRCs). These chemicals are known to disrupt hormones or damage DNA in ways that can increase the risk of breast cancer.
The study, published in October 2025 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, found that immigrant women are disproportionately employed in occupations with a high risk of exposure to BCRCs. These include roles in which people are more likely to come into contact with antimicrobials, phthalates and other cleaning and maintenance products linked to cancer.
The researchers found that immigrant women with less education and limited English proficiency are more likely to work in the types of low-wage, physically demanding jobs where exposure to BCRCs is greater. These are the very roles that keep hospitals, homes and communities running – and they put workers’ lives at risk.
The article highlights what the lead author, Kristin Knoxdescribed to Newsgroup rewiring as a ‘pilot’. The Silent Spring Institute – which was founded in 1994 by activists from the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition following their discovery of a local breast cancer cluster on Cape Cod, Massachusetts – now has identified more than 900 “breast toxins” which may be linked to breast cancer, which will inform her future research on occupational-specific chemical exposures.
RNG spoke with Knox, a data scientist who studies health risks, to learn more about what the study means for the millions of immigrant women working in the US, and how it will shape the organization’s future research into work-related breast cancer risks.
The original interview took place via video. It has been edited for length and clarity and includes information from follow-ups sent by email.
What is your main takeaway from what you have found so far?
The most common jobs held by immigrant women are cleaners, nurses, cashiers, janitors, and healthcare workers. Of these jobs, housekeepers and nurses face the highest potential chemical exposure. …
[This study] was an attempt to figure out which professions we should focus more on. …
One other thing I would like to point out: We highlight occupations that are relevant to immigrant women and have a high risk of exposure to breast cancer. But these breast cancer exposures aren’t just relevant to immigrant women in those occupations, they’re relevant to all women in those occupations.
What do you think this means for these employees?
One of the authors on the paper, Jenny Ohayonhas a background in qualitative research… She conducted focus groups and interviews to understand how much control these women have in their workplace. How much training do they receive in wearing the correct personal protective equipment and what procedure should they follow if they have to use a certain hazardous substance?
We are most concerned about the professions where the risks are bad and workers don’t really have the power to try to change them. Part of it is a matter of worker power, but part of it is also a matter of education.
Why are so many toxic chemicals used?
In the United States you don’t test [many] chemicals [for potential toxicity] before putting them in products. It is very different from Europe.
The EU takes a precautionary approach to chemicals, while the US takes a more reactionary approach. More specifically, companies in the EU generally must submit safety test results before they can use a chemical in a product, while companies in the US are not required to demonstrate safety before use.
Why do you think this is important research to do now?
Women’s occupational exposure, like much of women’s health, is completely underexposed. … All early occupational studies focused exclusively on men … and although they can get breast cancer, it is very rare. For me this is just focusing research [women]. …We think a lot of these chemicals are relevant to breast cancer because they do things to our hormone levels, and it’s clear that women’s hormones are very different from men’s hormones.
Is there anything I didn’t ask that you think is important to let people know about this study?
My hope is that people will start to educate themselves, and instead of just assuming that the world around us and the products on our shelves are safe, they will accept that this is not always the case.
Not that the responsibility should fall on the individual, but there are at least things you can do to educate yourself and reduce your exposure.
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