CHEEC's mission is "to determine the levels of environmental contamination which can be specifically associated with human health effects."

Center activities focus on research and education related to environmental health issues and include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Assemble pertinent laboratory data on the presence and concentration of contaminants in the soil, air, water and food, and develop data retrieval systems to allow the findings to be easily correlated with existing health outcome data.
• Perform laboratory and field studies on the fate of toxic substances in the environment, and develop innovative technologies for the remediation of contaminated environments.
• Utilize data from the Iowa Health Registries (cancer and birth defects incidence) and develop similar recording systems for specific organ diseases suspected to be caused by exposure to environmental toxins.
• Survey, on a regular basis, the health status of persons known to be exposed to environmental toxins.
• Develop biomedical assays which may be used in exposed persons to determine early evidence of adverse health effects, as well as biomarkers of disease and their interaction with the environment.
• Perform epidemiologic studies to relate the occurrence of a disease to contaminant exposure and to ensure that other factors known to cause the disease in question can be ruled out.
• Foster relationships and ensure the exchange of information with other teaching institutions and laboratories in Iowa involved with the many forms of environmental contamination.
• Implement professional programs in the causes and prevention of environmentally-induced disease.
• Implement public education programs on environmental health issues.