Environmental Health Effects Laboratory (EHEL)

The Environmental Health Effects Laboratory (EHEL) at the Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton serves as the Navy's premier operational toxicology lab, with over 65 years of supporting the Navy and DoD by assessing the potential health effects and risk to Service Members from exposures to chemical and environmental stressors found in military occupational and operational settings. EHEL is recognized across the Joint Force for its unique facilities and capabilities, including inhalation toxicology and exposure, coupled by its ability to assess outcomes across a wide variety of health effects from performance decrements and hearing-related injury to pulmonary effects and chronic disease. Additionally, EHEL’s expertise in deciphering underlying mechanisms of action provides invaluable information towards countermeasures and mitigation efforts to minimize or prevent impacts to service member readiness, health, and performance. The ultimate objective is to support the readiness of the Navy and the Joint Force through investigating health effects of environmental hazards and stressors.