Kimberly Gehle

Dr. Kimberly Gehle


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

16Years (2011-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 October 2011 in American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
KGKimberly Gehle
Kimberly Gehle
JCJewel L. Crawford
Jewel L. Crawford
MHMichael T. Hatcher
Michael T. Hatcher

24 September 2023 in American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Gregory M ZarusGregory M Zarus
Gregory M Zarus
CMCustodio V Muianga
Custodio V Muianga
SBStephan Brenner
Stephan Brenner
KSKatie Stallings
Katie Stallings
GCGaston Casillas
Gaston Casillas
KGKimberly Gehle
Kimberly Gehle

13 May 2026 in Toxics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
CMCustodio V Muianga
Custodio V Muianga
Gregory M ZarusGregory M Zarus
Gregory M Zarus
KSKatie Stallings
Katie Stallings
GCGaston Casillas
Gaston Casillas
MSMohammad Shoeb
Mohammad Shoeb
CRChristopher M. Reh
Christopher M. Reh
The prevalence of plastics in the environment raises concerns about their complex and poorly understood effects on human health. Research continues to uncover more sources of exposure and wider ranges of plastics within the body. Adverse health effects have been observed in animals, but their relevance to humans remains unclear. To address the growing need for reliable toxicity assessment resources and tools to aid in the synthesis of findings and the identification of data gaps and needs, we have developed a data visualization tool to provide streamlined access to the evaluated data on the chemical impacts of plastics on human health. The Plastics-Related Toxicology Profiles Tool uses Tableau Public to organize the extracted chemical-specific information from ATSDR Toxicological Profiles, the United Nations Environmental Program’s 2023 Chemicals in Plastics Technical Report, and a literature review of relevant research in Google Scholar and PubMed. The tool organizes extracted data from 98 ATSDR Toxicological Profiles representing over 476 substances related to plastics production in 16 tabulated health outcome categories associated with plastics exposure. The chemicals are organized into four categories based on their role in plastics manufacturing. The top four health endpoints impacted by all listed substance profiles are respiratory, neurologic, hepatic, and developmental effects. More than 30% of the substance profiles affected these systems as well as other non-cancer endpoints involving the immunological, renal, and reproductive systems, as well as increased cancer risk in respiratory and hepatic systems. Most monomers negatively impact development and the respiratory system, and most metal additives affect the respiratory system. We explain how this data visualization tool combined with ATSDR’s framework for assessing health impacts from multiple chemicals could be applied to identify the target organs impacted by components of the common plastic polyvinyl chloride. Hazard quotients and index show low toxicity and health risk of components in the cured product. This data provide a valuable resource for prioritizing health risk assessments. Use of this interactive tool can enhance the ability of public health professionals to navigate the expanding literature, synthesize findings, and identify future health risk assessment and research priorities.