Maria Doa
Senior Director, Chemicals Policy
Work
Areas of expertise:
Chemical safety, science policy, risk policy, lead, nanotechnology
Description
As the Senior Director, Chemicals Policy, Dr. Maria Doa’s primary focus is on reducing exposures to toxic chemicals through health-protective implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These efforts promote more robust, inclusive and transparent decisions that consider the impacts chemicals can have throughout their lifecycle on communities, particularly those most at risk.
Background
Maria joined EDF in 2021, after a 30-year career at the Environmental Protection Agency where she developed extensive experience in chemical safety, risk policy and risk management of chemicals. She created and led programs to reduce risks to many industrial and commercial chemicals including lead, PCBs, mercury and asbestos, and to increase the public’s access to information on toxics chemicals.
She has participated in several international fora including co-chairing the United Nations Environment Program and World Health Organization Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in Paints and chairing Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development international expert meetings on nanomaterials.
Maria has a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Michigan.
Latest pieces
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Disease by a thousand cuts: How a daily barrage of chemicals in our food makes us more likely to get sick over time
Health Blog, July 29, 2026 -
Disease by a thousand cuts: How a daily barrage of chemicals in our food makes us more likely to get sick over time
EDF Library, July 28, 2026 -
Why weakening the Toxic Substances Control Act could put complex toxic chemicals on a fast track to our communities
Health Blog, July 7, 2026 -
Why “feasibility” is a dangerous, slippery slope for chemical reviews
Health Blog, May 8, 2026 -
Keeping workers safe under the Toxic Substances Control Act
Health Blog, April 8, 2026 -
The Toxic Substances Control Act is working to keep potentially dangerous new chemicals off the market and out of our lives
Health Blog, March 13, 2026 -
Here’s how a harmful Republican proposal to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act would make it harder for EPA to keep dangerous chemicals out of our lives
Health Blog, March 3, 2026 -
This is how the House Republicans’ proposal to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act hamstrings EPA’s ability to protect us from the worst toxic chemicals already on the market
Health Blog, February 26, 2026
Press materials
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The FDA recently made its first move on a 1958 food-chemical law. Why now?
July 29, 2026 -
Trump EPA weakens national drinking water protections for toxic “forever chemicals”
May 18, 2026 -
FDA’s new post-market food chemical safety program a step forward, but gaps leave Americans at risk
May 15, 2026 -
"Sound Science" and dropping IRIS raise serious health risks
May 15, 2026 -
COMING SOON: An effort to weaken our popular chemical safety law
December 8, 2025 -
EPA’s Proposed Changes to Chemical Risk Evaluations Threaten Americans’ Health
September 22, 2025 -
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Moves to Ban Red Dye No. 3 from Foods
January 15, 2025 -
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces fluorinated polyethylene petition filing
April 26, 2024