EDC Science Weekly, Dec. 4 – 10, 2019

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:December 10, 2019
Post category:EDC Science Weekly

A summary of articles on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) added to PubMed this week.

Contents: Special Issues, Regulations/Policy, Methods/Screening, Reviews, Human Health Studies, Laboratory Studies, Exposure/Environment Studies.

Special Issues

The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published a December supplement, “Deployment Exposures, Biomarkers, and Health Outcomes” with a number of articles, including:

The journal Frontiers in Endocrinology published a special issue on Endocrine Disruptors and Metabolism. All the papers have previously been listed here so I won’t list them again, but the introductory piece, Editorial: Endocrine Disruptors and Metabolism, was just published.

Regulations/Policy

Environmental Health Practice Challenges and Research Needs for U.S. Health Departments.

Pollution and ill health.

Methods/Screening

Development of an In Vitro Human Thyroid Microtissue Model for Chemical Screening.

Towards less hazardous industrial compounds: coupling quantum mechanical computations, biomarker responses and behavioral profiles identify bioactivity of SN2 electrophiles in alternative vertebrate models.

Reviews

Commentaries/Conference Summaries

BPA: have flawed analytical techniques compromised risk assessments? [important!]

The False Promise of Natural Gas.

Possible Fluorinated Alternatives of PFOS and PFOA: Ready to Go?

A Fresh Look at Stress and Resilience in Communities Affected by Environmental Contamination. [ATSDR project on PFAS]

Building the evidence for an ecological model of cognitive health.

Phthalates

What is the evidence for interactions between filaggrin null mutations and environmental exposures in the aetiology of atopic dermatitis? – A systematic review.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Emerging persistent chemicals in human biomonitoring for populations in the Arctic: A Canadian perspective.

Marine sediment toxicity: A focus on micro- and mesocosms towards remediation.

Role of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Environmentally Induced Skin Aging and Skin Carcinogenesis.

Dioxin and endometriosis: a new possible relation based on epigenetic theory.

Pesticides

Systematic review of comparative studies assessing the toxicity of pesticide active ingredients and their product formulations.

Pesticides in the urban environment: A potential threat that knocks at the door.

Key Risk Factors Affecting Farmers’ Mental Health: A Systematic Review.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Developmental toxicity of arsenic: a drift from the classical dose-response relationship.

The effects of cadmium exposure in the induction of inflammation.

Neurotransmitters and behavioral alterations induced by nickel exposure.

Nickel and Oxidative stress: Cell Signaling Mechanisms and Protective Role of Vitamin C.

Understanding the mechanistic insight of arsenic exposure and decoding the histone cipher.

Arsenic reduction to <1 µg/L in Dutch drinking water.

The impact of environmental cadmium exposure on type 2 diabetes risk: a protocol for an overview of systematic reviews.

Microplastics

Challenge for the detection of microplastics in the environment.

Research landscape of a global environmental challenge: Microplastics.

Air Pollution

The Impact of Airborne Pollution on Atopic Dermatitis-A Literature Review.

Particulate matter pollution and lung cancer: a worldwide perspective.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Exposure to air pollution in early childhood and the association with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of non-lung cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

Miscellaneous

Endocrine disrupting chemicals: exposure, effects on human health, mechanism of action, models for testing and strategies for prevention.

Untangling the association between environmental endocrine disruptive chemicals and the etiology of male genitourinary cancers.

Oocyte Aging: The Role of Cellular and Environmental Factors and Impact on Female Fertility.

Sex and Gender Driven Modifiers of Alzheimer’s: The Role for Estrogenic Control Across Age, Race, Medical, and Lifestyle Risks.

Antimicrobial resistance: A new threat from disinfection byproducts and disinfection of drinking water?

Human Health Studies

BPA/Phenols

Association of bisphenol A and its alternatives bisphenol S and F exposure with hypertension and blood pressure: A cross-sectional study in China.

Phthalates

Could phthalates exposure contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome and liver disease in humans?

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs, PAHs

Organochlorine pesticides exposure may disturb homocysteine metabolism in pregnant women.

Association of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and obesity in children aged 3-18: Canadian Health Measures Survey 2009-2015.

Urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the association with hearing threshold shifts in the United States adults.

Organochlorine pesticide exposure as a risk factor for breast cancer in young Indian women: A case-control study.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Prenatal Se concentrations and anthropometry at birth in the INMA study (Spain).

The association between heavy metal and serum cholesterol levels in the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012.

Blood Lead Levels and Risk of Atherosclerosis in the Carotid Artery: Results from a Swedish Cohort.

Low-level lead exposure is associated with aberrant sperm quality and reproductive hormone levels in Chinese male individuals: Results from the MARHCS study low-level lead exposure is associated with aberrant sperm quality.

Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Chronic Kidney Disease – Results from a Matched Case-Control Study from a Rural Population in Shivamogga District in South India.

Associations between metal constituents of ambient particulate matter and mortality in England: an ecological study.

Heavy metal exposure, oxidative stress and semen quality: Exploring associations and mediation effects in reproductive-aged men.

Associations of plasma metal concentrations with the decline in kidney function: A longitudinal study of Chinese adults.

Air Pollution

Population-Based Study of Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Obesity in Mexican Americans.

Annual SO2 exposure, asthma, atopy, and lung function in Puerto Rican children.

Study on the association between ambient air pollution and daily cardiovascular death in Hefei, China.

Long-term ambient hydrocarbons exposure and incidence of ischemic stroke.

Maternal cooking during pregnancy may increase hyperactive behaviors among children aged at around 3 years old.

Early Life Exposure to Air Pollution and Incidence of Childhood Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis and Eczema.

Can atmospheric pollutants influence menstrual cycle function?

Air pollution significantly associated with severe ocular allergic inflammatory diseases.

Pharmaceuticals

Genital tract and reproductive characteristics in daughters of women and men prenatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES).

Mixtures

Combined effects of multiple prenatal exposure to pollutants on birth weight: The Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study. (heavy metals, bisphenol, phthalates, air pollutants)

Miscellaneous

Use of skincare products and risk of cancer of the breast and endometrium: a prospective cohort study.

Hair dye and chemical straightener use and breast cancer risk in a large US population of black and white women.

The Black identity, hair product use, and breast cancer scale.

Laboratory Studies

BPA/Phenols

Bisphenol A Activates an Innate Viral Immune Response Pathway.

The effects of pubertal exposure to bisphenol-A on social behavior in male mice.

Oral exposure to low dose bisphenol A aggravates allergic airway inflammation in mice.

Studies on the phytomodulatory potential of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) on bisphenol-A induced testicular damage in mice.

Genetic and epigenetic alterations induced by bisphenol A exposure during different periods of spermatogenesis: from spermatozoa to the progeny.

SOCS-3 contributes to bisphenol a exposure-induced insulin resistance in hepatocytes.

Melatonin promotes metabolism of bisphenol A by enhancing glutathione-dependent detoxification in Solanum lycopersicum L.

The impact of toxic bisphenols on model human erythrocyte membranes.

Influence of Storage Time and Temperature on the Toxicity, Endocrine Potential, and Migration of Epoxy Resin Precursors in Extracts of Food Packaging Materials.

Bisphenol A and several derivatives exert neural toxicity in human neuron-like cells by decreasing neurite length.

The effect of green tea extract on the sperm parameters and histological changes of testis in rats exposed to para-nonylphenol.

Changes in vitellogenin and estrogen receptor expression and 17β-estradiol concentration in male juvenile tilapia can be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Phthalates

Metabolism and urinary excretion kinetics of di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) in four human volunteers after a single oral dose. [a phthalate alternative]

DEHP induces immunosuppression through disturbing inflammatory factors and CYPs system homeostasis in common carp neutrophils.

Bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate affects lipid metabolism in zebrafish larvae via DNA methylation modification.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

In vitro metabolism of triclosan studied by liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry.

Investigation of mechanisms of toxicity and exclusion by transporters of the preservatives triclosan and propylparaben using batteries of Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Polychlorinated biphenyl quinone promotes macrophage polarization to CD163+ cells through Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Impact of AhRR (565C > G) polymorphism on dioxin dependent CYP1A2 induction.

Validity of using a relative potency factor approach for the risk management of dioxin-like polychlorinated naphthalenes.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Subacute dermal toxicity of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids: comparison with different carbon-chain lengths in human skin equivalents and systemic effects of perfluoroheptanoic acid in Sprague Dawley rats.

Exposure of adult mice to perfluorobutanesulfonate impacts ovarian functions through hypothyroxinemia leading to down-regulation of Akt-mTOR signaling.

Altered expression and activity of phase I and II biotransformation enzymes in human liver cells by perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS).

Flame Retardants

Hepatotoxicity of decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in 28-day exposed Sprague-Dawley rats.

Characterizing biotransformation products and pathways of the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate in Daphnia magna using non-target screening.

Triphenyl phosphate causes a sexually dimorphic metabolism dysfunction associated with disordered adiponectin receptors in pubertal mice.

Adipogenic activity of 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ pathway.

“Waste”-ing away: Presence of Cu ions influences microbial degradation kinetics and metabolite formation of the prevalent brominated flame retardant BDE-47.

Polystyrene microplastics increase uptake, elimination and cytotoxicity of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in the marine scallop Chlamys farreri.

Metabolomics reveals that tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP) causes disruption of membrane lipids in microalga Scenedesmus obliquus.

The fate of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a common flame retardant, in polystyrene-degrading mealworms: elevated HBCD levels in egested polymer but no bioaccumulation.

Organotins

Assessment of reproductive disorder (imposex) induced by tributyltins in marine gastropods.

Pesticides

Frequently encountered pesticides can cause multiple disorders in developing worker honey bees.

May agricultural water sources containing mixtures of agrochemicals cause hormonal disturbances?

Computational and experimental investigations on the interactions of aryloxy-phenoxy-propionate herbicides to estrogen receptor alpha in zebrafish.

High-throughput transcriptome sequencing reveals the developmental toxicity mechanisms of niclosamide in zebrafish embryo.

Bifenthrin Induces Fat Deposition by Improving Fatty Acid Uptake and Inhibiting Lipolysis in Mice.

An energy-based model to analyze growth data of earthworms exposed to two fungicides.

Effects of phoxim exposure on gut microbial composition in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

To evaluate the toxicity of atrazine on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp. using sensitive indices indicated by photosynthetic parameters.

An investigation on some toxic effects of pyriproxyfen in adult male mice.

Single and combined effects of insecticides on multi-level biomarkers in the non-target amphipod Gammarus fossarum exposed to environmentally realistic levels.

Dietary exposure to chlorpyrifos inhibits the polarization of regulatory T cells in C57BL/6 mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis.

Potential risk of organophosphate exposure in male reproductive system of a non-target insect model Drosophila melanogaster.

2,4-Dichlorophenol induced feminization of zebrafish by down-regulating male-related genes through DNA methylation.

Biochemical responses and DNA damage induced by herbicide QYR301 in earthworm (Eisenia fetida).

Potentially Toxic Elements

Effect of cadmium on osteoclast differentiation during bone injury in female mice.

Melatonin protects bone against cadmium -induced toxicity via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Effects of mercuric chloride on spatial memory deficit-induced by beta-amyloid and evaluation of mitochondrial function markers in the hippocampus of rats.

Neurotoxicity of β-HgS differs from environmental mercury pollutants (MeHgCl and HgCl2) in Neuro-2a cell.

Metalloproteomics analysis in human mammary cell lines treated with inorganic mercury.

Hepatic and neurobiological effects of foetal and breastfeeding and adulthood exposure to methylmercury in Wistar rats.

Vitamin C and Turmeric Attenuate Bax and Bcl-2 Proteins’ Expressions and DNA Damage in Lead Acetate-Induced Liver Injury.

Metalloproteomic approach of mercury-binding proteins in liver and kidney tissues of Plagioscion squamosissimus (corvina) and Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui) from Amazon region: Possible identification of mercury contamination biomarkers.

Microplastics

Effects of polystyrene microbeads on cytotoxicity and transcriptomic profiles in human Caco-2 cells.

Microplastics ingestion and heterotrophy in thermally stressed corals.

Microplastics impair digestive performance but show little effects on antioxidant activity in mussels under low pH conditions.

Microplastic exposure represses the growth of endosymbiotic dinoflagellate Cladocopium goreaui in culture through affecting its apoptosis and metabolism.

Microplastic Impacts on Microalgae Growth: Effects of Size and Humic Acid.

Polyethylene microplastics affect the distribution of gut microbiota and inflammation development in mice.

Microplastic particles reduce EROD-induction specifically by highly lipophilic compounds in RTL-W1 cells.

Pharmaceuticals

Prenatal androgen exposure and transgenerational susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome.

Selective estrogen receptor (ER)β activation provokes a redistribution of fat mass and modifies hepatic triglyceride composition in obese male mice.

Neurodevelopmental effects of natural and synthetic ligands of estrogen and progesterone receptors in zebrafish eleutheroembryos.

Mixtures

Effects of the glucocorticoid clobetasol propionate and its mixture with cortisol and different class steroids in adult female zebrafish.

Contaminant levels and endocrine disruptive effects in Clarias gariepinus exposed to simulated leachate from a solid waste dumpsite in Calabar, Nigeria.

Quality screening of the Lagos lagoon sediment by assessing the cytotoxicity and toxicological responses of rat hepatoma H4IIE and fish PLHC-1 cell-lines using different extraction approaches.

Miscellaneous

Selective activation of estrogen receptors α and β: Implications for depressive-like phenotypes in female mice exposed to chronic unpredictable stress.

High-throughput transcriptomics: An insight on the pathways affected in HepG2 cells exposed to nickel oxide nanoparticles.

Transgenerational Immune Priming in the Field: Maternal Environmental Experience Leads to Differential Immune Transfer to Oocytes in the Marine Annelid Hediste diversicolor.

Exposure/Environment Studies

BPA/Phenols

Ultrasound assisted solvent extraction of porous membrane-packed samples followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determination of BADGE, BFDGE and their derivatives in packed vegetables.

Biomonitoring of bisphenols A and S and phthalate metabolites in hair from pregnant women in Crete.

Phthalates

Global review of phthalates in edible oil: An emerging and nonnegligible exposure source to human.

The leaching of phthalates from PVC can be determined with an infinite sink approach.

Pollution characteristics of 15 gas- and particle-phase phthalates in indoor and outdoor air in Hangzhou.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs, PAHs

Chemical tracers guide identification of the location and source of persistent organic pollutants in juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), migrating seaward through an estuary with multiple contaminant inputs.

Snow Deposition and Melting as Drivers of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides in Arctic Rivers, Lakes, and Ocean.

Biological responses of shoal flounder (Syacium gunteri) to toxic environmental pollutants from the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Juvenile harbor porpoises in the UK are exposed to a more neurotoxic mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls than adults.

Biomonitoring of the adult population in the area of turin waste incinerator: Baseline levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites.

PCB levels in adipose tissue of dogs from illegal dumping sites in Campania region (Italy).

Mapping polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans in soils around Pugu municipal dump site in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Implications on dermal and soil ingestion exposure for people in the peripheral.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Bioaccumulation and human exposure of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in vegetables from the largest vegetable production base of China.

Wastewater sources of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and pharmaceuticals in four Canadian Arctic communities.

Uptake and translocation of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) in red chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) under various treatments with pre-contaminated soil and irrigation water.

Temporal Trends in Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of Indian River Lagoon, Florida and Charleston, South Carolina.

Flame Retardants

Tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane isomers in breast milk from the general population in Beijing, China: Contamination levels, temporal trends, nursing infant’s daily intake, and risk assessment.

Worker exposure to flame retardants in manufacturing, construction and service industries.

Bioaccumulation characteristics of PBDEs and alternative brominated flame retardants in a wild frog-eating snake.

Pesticides

Evaluating the presence of pesticides in bananas: An integrative review.

Variability and predictors of weekly pesticide exposure in applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional smallholder farms in Costa Rica.

Tidal variability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organophosphate esters in the coastal seawater of Dalian, China.

Exposure of Agriculture Workers to Pesticides: The Effect of Heat on Protective Glove Performance and Skin Exposure to Dichlorvos.

Pesticides in Surface Waters in Argentina Monitored Using Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers.

Assessment of the effects of atrazine, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and dimethoate on freshwater fish (Oreochromis mossambicus): a case study of the A2 farmlands in Chiredzi, in the southeastern part of Zimbabwe.

A sensitivity analysis of pesticide concentrations in California Central Valley vernal pools.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Oral exposure to lead for Japanese children and pregnant women, estimated using duplicate food portions and house dust analyses.

Interactive effects of multiple heavy metal(loid)s on their bioavailability in cocontaminated paddy soils in a large region.

Exploring bacterial community composition in Mediterranean deep-sea sediments and their role in heavy metal accumulation.

Heavy metals in surface sediments in the trans-Himalayan Koshi River catchment: Distribution, source identification and pollution assessment.

Evaluation of the reliability of human teeth matrix used as a biomarker for fluoride environmental pollution.

Assessment of the impact of climate change and mining activities on streamflow and selected metal’s loading in the Chindwin River, Myanmar.

Explaining variation in Colorado songbird blood mercury using migratory behavior, foraging guild, and diet.

Distribution of total mercury and methylmercury and their controlling factors in the East China Sea.

Biomonitoring of maternal and fetal exposure to mercury in Sabzevar and its affecting risk factors.

Distributions of arsenic and other heavy metals, and health risk assessments for groundwater in the Guanzhong Plain region of China.

Relationships between mercury concentrations in fur and stomach contents of river otter (Lontra canadensis) and mink (Neovison vison) in Northern Alberta Canada and their applications as proxies for environmental factors determining mercury bioavailability.

Atmospheric mercury accumulation rate in northeastern China during the past 800 years as recorded by the sediments of Tianchi Crater Lake.

Microbial mercury methylation profile in terminus of a high-elevation glacier on the northern boundary of the Tibetan Plateau.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (Hg, Cd and Ni) by sentinel crab (Macrophthalmus depressus) from sediments of Mousa Bay, Persian Gulf.

Trace elements in sediments and fish from Atrato River: an ecosystem with legal rights impacted by gold mining at the Colombian Pacific.

Heavy metal concentrations of soils near the large opencast coal mine pits in China.

Metallic elements in human hair from residents in smelting districts in northeast China: Environmental factors and differences in ingestion media.

Eutrophication and heavy metal pollution patterns in the water suppling lakes of China’s south-to-north water diversion project.

Mercury and dissolved organic matter dynamics during snowmelt runoff in a montane watershed, Provo River, Utah, USA.

Microplastics

Macroplastic pollution in freshwater environments: Focusing public and policy action.

Distribution of microplastics in surface water and sediments of Qin river in Beibu Gulf, China.

Organic pollutants, nano- and microparticles in street sweeping road dust and washwater.

The distribution, characteristics and ecological risks of microplastics in the mangroves of Southern China.

Comparison of the abundance of microplastics between rural and urban areas: A case study from East Dongting Lake.

Microplastics in stormwater runoff in a semiarid region, Tijuana, Mexico.

Accumulation of microplastics in typical commercial aquatic species: A case study at a productive aquaculture site in China.

Occurrence of microplastics in the Han River and riverine fish in South Korea.

Air Pollution

Mapping Modeled Exposure of Wildland Fire Smoke for Human Health Studies in California.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere and soils of Dalian, China: Source, urban-rural gradient, and air-soil exchange.

Spatio-temporal patterns of air pollution in China from 2015 to 2018 and implications for health risks.

Satellite-derived spatiotemporal PM2.5 concentrations and variations from 2006 to 2017 in China.

Pharmaceuticals

Thermal baths as sources of pharmaceutical and illicit drug contamination.

Spatiotemporal distribution, source apportionment, and ecological risk of corticosteroids in the urbanized river system of Guangzhou, China.

Response of microbial communities of karst river water to antibiotics and microbial source tracking for antibiotics.

Antibiotics in coral reef fishes from the South China Sea: Occurrence, distribution, bioaccumulation, and dietary exposure risk to human.

Selectively enrichment of antibiotics and ARGs by microplastics in river, estuary and marine waters.

Occurrence and fate of pharmaceuticals in effluent and sludge from a wastewater treatment plant in Brazil.

Mixtures

Pollution emission characteristics, distribution of heavy metals, and particle morphologies in a hazardous waste incinerator processing phenolic waste.

Miscellaneous

Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in aquatic organisms from an e-waste site: Biomagnification and maternal transfer.

Occurrence, fate and environmental risk of anionic surfactants, bisphenol A, perfluorinated compounds and personal care products in sludge stabilization treatments.

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This list is not meant to be exhaustive, and generally does not include studies on detection, remediation, or treatment of EDCs. Note that journal publication dates may be different than dates added to PubMed. To see the searchable archives, please email me at Sarah@healthandenvironment.org and ask to join the group EDC_research@googlegroups.com. Archives are at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/edc_research. Compiled by Sarah Howard, Diabetes and Environment Program and HEEDS at Commonweal.

EHN EHN

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: hazards and opportunities (ECHO) course
by Sarah Howard on October 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm
This course focuses on the chemical, biological, and societal challenges of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and new opportunities for moving forward. ECHO is a two-week intensive bootcamp-style career development course for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals in the field. It is held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Lou Guillette Jr. Memorial Symposium
by Sarah Howard on October 22, 2024 at 1:30 pm
On March 14-15, 2025, HEEDS is hosting the Lou Guillette Jr. Memorial Symposium on endocrine disrupting science at the University of Florida. It will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Guillette, gather together his trainees and colleagues, and focus on the research topics that Lou made famous. Information here.
Webinar: The overturning of Chevron deference: impacts on environmental health decision making
by Sarah Howard on October 17, 2024 at 4:21 pm
In this Nov. 13 webinar, legal experts will discuss the implications of the overturning of Chevron deference and its profound impact on science, public health and decision-making. Sponsored by CHE and UCSF's EaRTH Center.

EHN EHN

Ultra-processed foods and plastic packaging make for the ultimate toxic pair, scientists say
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 25, 2024 at 10:37 am
A recent paper published in Globalization and Health explores the relationship between ultra-processed foods (UPFs), plastic packaging, and their combined threat to public health. “Consumers do not have the power to solve a problem of this scale, and thus it is the responsibility of policymakers to ensure that transitions away from unhealthy, unsustainable foods are accompanied by structural measures that support demand and access to healthy foods.”
Microplastic exposure linked to reduced sperm quality in humans
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 23, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Exposure to microplastics is associated with a decrease in sperm concentration, motility, and shape, according to a new study published in The Lancet. “The identification of non-stick pan coating material PTFE as a particularly hazardous microplastic for male fertility underscores the importance of targeted interventions to reduce exposure to this and similar substances.”
Exposure to PFAS in ski wax may be linked to high cholesterol
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 16, 2024 at 7:42 pm
According to a new study published in Environmental Research, skiers and snowboarders may face health risks from their exposure to PFAS via ski wax, which can contain up to 100% PFAS by mass. “Interventions to remove PFAS from fluorinated wax could decrease direct exposure to skiers and reduce PFAS release into the environment.”

EHN EHN

Stricter toxic chemical rules reduce Californians’ exposures
by Kristina Marusic on October 31, 2024 at 11:25 am
Californians have lower levels of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm in their bodies than people in the rest of the country, according to a new study. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives and conducted by researchers at Silent Spring Institute, a nonprofit scientific research organization, and the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley), looked at nationwide data on the levels of 37 toxic chemicals in people’s blood before and after California introduced its stringent regulations. It found that for 18 of these chemicals, Californians have lower levels in their bodies than the rest of the country.
EPA dismissed data on the neurotoxicity of common insecticides
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 30, 2024 at 5:56 pm
A recent paper in Frontiers in Toxicology examined research submitted by industry to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the neurotoxicity of neonicotinoids - the most widely used class of insecticides in the U.S. and worldwide - and found that the data was evaluated improperly by the agency. Why this matters: Neonicotinoids are widely used not only for commercial agriculture but also for more personal uses like home gardens and in some flea and tick treatments for pets. Humans are regularly exposed to neonicotinoids – which are structurally similar to nicotine – through the environment, food and water. Neonicotinoids’ popularity partly comes from the belief that their harmful effects are mostly limited to insects, but studies like this one demonstrate that mammals may also be harmed by the chemicals, and highlight the urgent need for stronger regulations around their use.
Pesticide regulations ignore critical threats to insect health and ecosystems
by EHN Curators on October 30, 2024 at 10:26 am
In a study revealing regulatory gaps, researchers found that pesticides impact insect behavior and survival at non-lethal doses, especially in warmer temperatures, calling into question the effectiveness of current pesticide safety protocols. Dave Goulson writes for The Conversation.