Anna Baetjer Anna Medora Baetjer ( July 7 , 1899 – February 21 , 1984 ) was an American physiologist and toxicologist , known for her research into the health effects of industrial work on women and for her discovery of the carcinogenic properties of chromium . Early life . Anna Baetjer was born in Baltimore , Maryland on July 7 , 1899 . In 1920 , she graduated from Wellesley College , receiving a B . A . in English literature and zoology . Following her graduation , she returned to Baltimore to study at Johns Hopkins University , receiving her Sc . D . from the university ' s Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1924 . In 1924 , Baetjer joined the faculty of the School of Hygiene and Public Health , becoming an instructor in the Department of Physiological Hygiene . She became a research associate at the department in 1927 . Baetjer ' s early research focused on the effects of altitude and temperature on physiology . Prompted by concerns of increased lead poisoning among Baltimore children during the summer months , Baetjer conducted a study that demonstrated a link between high temperature and humidity and slower toxin excretion . In 1931 , the Department of Physiological Hygiene lost its chief advocate with the retirement of William Henry Howell , a Physiological Hygiene professor who had served as the director of the School of Hygiene and Public Health . Over the next several years , the other faculty in the department departed or were fired , and in 1935 , the department was finally merged into the Department of Chemical Hygiene . For the next 15 years , Baetjer would remain the only faculty member for Physiological Hygiene . World War II . In 1942 , the Surgeon General of the United States Army established the Industrial Hygiene Laboratory at the School of Hygiene and Public Health . Working at the laboratory , Baetjer studied the impact of military industrial work on women ' s health and the effects of physiological and sociological factors on women ' s job performance . As a result of her research , Baetjer proposed a number of changes , including adjusting industrial machinery so that it could be safely operated by women , limiting women to working to six days per week and adjusting their work schedules to take household responsibilities into account , and educating women on safe ways to lift and carry heavy loads . In 1944 , the War Department issued a set of policies on pregnancy and civilian workers based on Baetjer ' s recommendations . The policies limited work assigned to pregnant women , prohibited work assignments that posed a threat to the health of pregnant women ; and protected women ' s seniority and job security during pregnancy . In 1946 , Baetjer published the book " Women in Industry : Their Health and Efficiency " containing the results of her research . Cancer research . During the 1940s , Baetjer began to investigate the incidence of cancer in a Baltimore chromium plant and waste pile . Following a number of studies , Baetjer demonstrated a direct link between chromium exposure and cancer . She subsequently worked with the World Health Organization to establish standards for industrial chromium use . Later career . Following the war , Baetjer continued her work at the School of Hygiene and Public Health , becoming an assistant professor in 1945 , an associate professor in 1952 , a professor in 1962 , an a professor emerita in 1972 . She was elected president of the American Industrial Hygiene Association in 1954 . From 1966 to 1970 , Baetjer served on a committee organized by the Food and Drug Administration to study pesticide residues . In 1974 , she demonstrated that exposure to inorganic arsenic led to increased cancer risk for workers at pesticide plants . Baetjer served as an advisor to the National Research Council , the Environmental Protection Agency , the Army Environmental Hygiene Agency , and the Office of the Surgeon General . She received the Kehoe Award of the American Academy of Occupational Medicine in 1974 and the Stokinger Award of the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists in 1980 . In 1985 , Johns Hopkins University established the Anna M . Baetjer Chair in Environmental Health Sciences .