EDC Science Weekly, Nov. 18 – 24, 2020

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:November 24, 2020
Post category:EDC Science Weekly

A summary of articles on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) added to PubMed this week (and an occasional article in non-PubMed journals).

Contents: Regulations/Policy, Methods/Tools/Screening, Commentaries/Conference Summaries, Reviews, Human Health Studies, Laboratory Studies, Exposure/Environment Studies

Regulations/Policy

Producing Ignorance Through Regulatory Structure: The Case of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Methods/Tools/Screening

Retinoid Signaling in Skeletal Development: Scoping the System for Predictive Toxicology.

High-throughput analyses and Bayesian network modeling highlight novel epigenetic Adverse Outcome Pathway networks of DNA methyltransferase inhibitor mediated transgenerational effects.

A Tiered Approach to Cumulative Risk Assessment for Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity of Food Contaminants for the Austrian Population using the Modified Reference Point Index (mRPI).

Evaluating chemical similarity as a measure to identify potential substances of very high concern.

Oxygen consumption rate of Caenorhabditis elegans as a high-throughput endpoint of toxicity testing using the Seahorse XF^e96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

High-Throughput Screening for Insulin Secretion Modulators.

Commentaries/Conference Summaries

From evidence of harm to public health policy: is there light at the end of the tunnel? A Commentary on “Update on the health effects of bisphenol A: Overwhelming evidence of harm”

Integrating Intersectionality Into the Exposome Paradigm: A Novel Approach to Racial Inequities in Uterine Fibroids.

Reproductive toxicity of benzophenone-3. [Editorial]

Polychlorinated Biphenyls as a Cardiovascular Health Risk: A New Threat from an Old Enemy? [Science Selection in EHP]

On Wells and Wellness: Oil and Gas Flaring as a Potential Risk Factor for Preterm Birth. [Science Selection in EHP]

Oestrogens in milk and breast cancer: a cause for concern…or not?

Reviews

Numerous EDCs

The Role of Epigenetics in the Reproductive Toxicity of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors.

Environmental Factors Involved in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality.

Environmental chemicals, breast cancer progression and drug resistance.

Endocrine-disrupting effects of bisphenols on urological cancers.

Disruption of small molecule transporter systems by Transporter-Interfering Chemicals (TICs).

Phenols

The investigation into neurotoxicity mechanisms of Nonylphenol: A narrative review.

Phthalates

The overview of current evidence on the reproductive toxicity of dibutyl phthalate.

Parabens

Controversy around parabens: alternative strategies for preservative use in cosmetics and personal care products.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding.

Pesticides

Impacts of neonicotinoids on the bumble bees Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens examined through an Adverse Outcome Pathway framework lens.

Potentially Toxic Elements

The aging brain: impact of heavy metal neurotoxicity.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Microplastic’s story.

An overview of the internalization and effects of microplastics and nanoplastics as pollutants of emerging concern in bivalves.

Organ-specific toxicity of magnetic iron oxide-based nanoparticles.

The combined exposure of microplastics and toxic contaminants in the floodplains of north India: A review.

From source to sink: Review and prospects of microplastics in wetland ecosystems.

Air Pollution

The impact of air pollution to obesity.

Exposure to ambient air pollution in the first 1000 days of life and alterations in the DNA methylome and telomere length in children: a systematic review.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter relates with incident myocardial infarction (MI) risks and post-MI mortality: A meta-analysis.

Miscellaneous

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Sources, Toxicity, and Remediation Approaches.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals

Potential Obesogenic Effect of a Complex Contaminant Mixture on Cree First Nations Adults of Northern Québec, Canada. [POPs and metals]

Serum levels of non-persistent environmental pollutants and risk of incident hypertension in a sub-cohort from the EPIC study. [parabens, BPA, and benzophenones]

BPA/Phenols

Serum bisphenol A analogues in women diagnosed with the polycystic ovary syndrome – is there an association?

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Gestational perfluoroalkyl substance exposure and body mass index trajectories over the first 12 years of life.

PFAS exposure and overweight/obesity among children in a nationally representative sample.

Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and birth outcomes: A longitudinal cohort with repeated measurements.

Fluorine detection in the lung tissue of a worker with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and long-term occupational exposure to polytetrafluoroethylene and perfluorooctanoic acid.

Pesticides

In utero pyrethroid pesticide exposure in relation to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental outcomes at 3 years in the MARBLES longitudinal cohort.

Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia in the MCC-Spain Study.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Understanding the Relationship between Environmental Arsenic and Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness among African-American and European-American Men in North Carolina.

Blood mercury and liver enzymes: A pan-India retrospective correlation study.

Impact of smoking on heavy metal contamination and DNA fragmentation.

Association between environmental exposure to cadmium and risk of suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Urinary cadmium concentrations and risk of primary ovarian insufficiency in women: a case-control study.

Association of Blood Cadmium with Cardiovascular Disease in Korea: From the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2013 and 2016.

Assessment of uranium concentration in blood of Iraqi females diagnosed with breast cancer.

Plasma metals and cancer incidence in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Serum essential trace elements and toxic metals in Chinese diabetic retinopathy patients.

The Relationship Between Heavy Metal Exposure, Trace Element Level, and Monocyte to HDL Cholesterol Ratio with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Vitamin D Treatment during Pregnancy and Maternal and Neonatal Cord Blood Metal Concentrations at Delivery: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Bangladesh.

The effect of seminal plasma cadmium and lead levels on semen parameters in male subjects of infertile couples: a prospective cohort study.

Air Pollution

Integration of gene expression and DNA methylation identifies epigenetically controlled modules related to PM_2.5 exposure.

Evaluating the U.S. Air Quality Index as a risk communication tool: Comparing associations of index values with respiratory morbidity among adults in California.

Concentration-response relationships between hourly particulate matter and ischemic events: A case-crossover analysis of effect modification by season and air-mass origin.

Low levels of fine particulate matter increase vascular damage and reduce pulmonary function in young healthy adults.

Interaction between visceral adiposity and ambient air pollution on LDL cholesterol level in Korean adults.

Air Pollution and the Dynamic Association Between Depressive Symptoms and Memory in Oldest-Old Women.

The Impact of Air Pollution on Intestinal Microbiome of Asthmatic Children: A Panel Study.

Air Pollution-Related Health Impacts on Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Environmental Justice and Health Vulnerability in Salt Lake County, Utah.

PM_2.5 associated with gray matter atrophy reflecting increased Alzheimers risk in older women.

Particulate matter (PM₁₀) as a newly identified environmental risk factor for acute gout flares: A time-series study.

Short-term differences in cardiac function following controlled exposure to cookstove air pollution: The subclinical tests on volunteers exposed to smoke (STOVES) study.

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood and brain morphology in preadolescents.

Long-Term Ambient Air Pollution Exposures and Brain Imaging Markers in Korean Adults: The Environmental Pollution-Induced Neurological EFfects (EPINEF) Study.

Physical activity attenuated the association of air pollutants with telomere length in rural Chinese adults.

Gestational exposure to particulate air pollution exacerbates the growth phenotypes induced by preconception paternal alcohol use: a multiplex model of exposure.

The effect of ambient ozone on glucose-homoeostasis: A prospective study of non-diabetic older adults in Beijing.

Cluster of climatic and pollutant characteristics increases admissions for acute myocardial infarction: Analysis of 30,423 patients in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo.

Inequality amplifies the negative association between life expectancy and air pollution: A cross-national longitudinal study.

A Pilot Study to Assess Inhalation Exposures among Sugarcane Workers in Guatemala: Implications for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Origin

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Influence of Indomethacin on Steroid Metabolism: Endocrine Disruption and Confounding Effects in Urinary Steroid Profiling of Anti-Doping Analyses.

Laboratory Studies

BPA/Phenols

Low-dose Bisphenol-A Promotes Epigenetic Changes at Pparγ Promoter in Adipose Precursor Cells.

Systems toxicogenomics of prenatal low-dose BPA exposure on liver metabolic pathways, gut microbiota, and metabolic health in mice.

Gestational Exposure to Bisphenol A Affects Testicular Morphology, Germ Cell Associations, and Functions of Spermatogonial Stem Cells in Male Offspring.

Zebrafish Embryonic Exposure to BPAP and Its Relatively Weak Thyroid Hormone-Disrupting Effects.

Disruption of global hypothalamic microRNA (miR) profiles and associated behavioral changes in California mice (Peromyscus californicus) developmentally exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Phthalates

A Novel Mechanism of Monoethylhexyl Phthalate in Lipid Accumulation via Inhibiting Fatty Acid Beta-Oxidation on Hepatic Cells.

Postnatal exposure to DINP was associated with greater alterations of lipidomic markers for hepatic steatosis than DEHP in postweaning mice.

Triclosan

Triclosan affects motor function in zebrafish larva by inhibiting ache and syn2a genes.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

TCDD-induced multi- and transgenerational changes in the methylome of male zebrafish gonads.

Acute 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin exposure in adult mice does not alter the morphology or inflammatory response of cortical microglia.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Perfluoroheptanoic acid induces Leydig cell hyperplasia but inhibits spermatogenesis in rats after pubertal exposure.

Early-life perfluorooctanoic acid exposure induces obesity in male offspring and the intervention role of chlorogenic acid.

Effects of gestational exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate on the lung development of offspring rats.

Developmental toxicity of the novel PFOS alternative OBS in developing zebrafish: An emphasis on cilia disruption.

Flame Retardants

Metabolic Profiles of Tetrabromobisphenol A in Humans Extrapolated from Humanized-Liver Mouse Data Using a Simplified Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model.

Organotins

Tributyltin Induces the Tissue-Specific Stresses in Zebrafish, a Study in Various Tissues of Muscle, Gill and Intestine.

Pesticides

Nontargeted Identification of Plasma Proteins O-, N-, and S-Transmethylated by O-Methyl Organophosphates.

Maternal and developmental toxicity after exposure to formulation of chlorothalonil and thiophanate-methyl during organogenesis in rats.

Pharmacological Actions of Carbamate Insecticides at Mammalian Melatonin Receptors.

Glyphosate targets fish monoaminergic systems leading to oxidative stress and anxiety.

Crosstalk of cholinergic pathway on thyroid disrupting effects of the insecticide chlorpyrifos in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Developmental assays using invasive cane toads, Rhinella marina, reveal safety concerns of a common formulation of the rice herbicide, butachlor^☆.

The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of single and combined fenthion and terbufos treatments in human liver cells and zebrafish embryos.

Development of a Larval Zebrafish Model for Acute Organophosphorus Nerve Agent and Pesticide Exposure and Therapeutic Evaluation.

Acute toxicity of organophosphate pesticide profenofos, pyrethroid pesticide λ cyhalothrin and biopesticide azadirachtin and their sublethal effects on growth and oxidative stress enzymes in benthic oligochaete worm, Tubifex tubifex.

Characterizing imidacloprid and metabolites in songbird blood with applications for diagnosing field exposures.

Long-term toxicity of lindane through oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Reproductive toxicity of Roundup WG® herbicide: impairments in ovarian follicles of model organism Danio rerio.

Screening of the bioactive compounds in Amphora coffeaeformis extract and evaluating its protective effects against deltamethrin toxicity in rats.

Potentially Toxic Elements

First evidence of the protective role of melatonin in counteracting cadmium toxicity in the rat ovary via the mTOR pathway.

Cadmium exposure induces endothelial dysfunction via disturbing lipid metabolism in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Protective effect of naringenin against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in male SD rats.

Chromium Exposure Causes Structural Aberrations of Erythrocytes, Gills, Liver, Kidney, and Genetic Damage in Striped Catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.

Application of the in vivo oxidative stress reporter Hmox1 as mechanistic biomarker of arsenic toxicity.

Subacute exposure to lead promotes disruption in the thyroid gland function in male and female rats.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Different effects of nano- and microplastics on oxidative status and gut microbiota in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma.

Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in Ctenopharyngodon idella juveniles: A genotoxic, mutagenic and cytotoxic perspective.

Toxicity mechanism of silver nanoparticles to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: photosynthesis, oxidative stress, membrane permeability, and ultrastructure analysis.

Microplastics with cadmium inhibit the growth of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara rather than reduce cadmium toxicity.

Genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and biochemical biomarkers of exposure to green synthesized cadmium nanoparticles in Oreochromis niloticus (L.).

Consistent exposure to microplastics induces age-specific physiological and biochemical changes in a marine mysid.

Air Pollution

PM2.5 promotes apoptosis of human epidermal melanocytes through promoting oxidative damage and autophagy.

Mixtures

Characterization of adipogenic, PPARγ, and TRβ activities in house dust extracts and their associations with organic contaminants.

In Silico Assessment of Acute Oral Toxicity for Mixtures.

Interactive effects of microplastics and selected pharmaceuticals on red tilapia: Role of microplastic aging.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous EDCs

Co-exposure and health risks of parabens, bisphenols, triclosan, phthalate metabolites and hydroxyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons based on simultaneous detection in urine samples from guangzhou, south China.

Biomarkers, matrices and analytical methods targeting human exposure to chemicals selected for a European human biomonitoring initiative.

Phthalates

GC-MS Analysis of Phthalates and Di-(2-thylhexyl) Adipate in Canadian Human Milk for Exposure Assessment of Infant Population.

Phthalates in the diet of Mexican children of school age. Risk analysis.

Prediction of liquid chromatographic retention time using quantitative structure-retention relationships to assist non-targeted identification of unknown metabolites of phthalates in human urine with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Parabens

Parabens in urine of children and adolescents in Germany – human biomonitoring results of the German Environmental Survey 2014-2017 (GerES V).

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Dioxins in breast milk of Chinese mothers: A survey 40 years after the e-waste recycling activities.

PAH and PCB body-burdens in epibenthic deep-sea invertebrates from the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Impact of municipal and industrial waste incinerators on PCBs content in the environment.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Side-chain fluorotelomer-based polymers in children car seats.

Suggestions for Improving the Characterisation of Risk from Exposures to Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS).

Assessing Human Health Risks from Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS)-Impacted Vegetable Consumption: A Tiered Modeling Approach.

Species-and Tissue-Specific Avian Chronic Toxicity Values (CTVs) for Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and a Binary Mixture of PFOS and Perfluorohexane Sulfonate.

Flame Retardants

BFRs (PBDEs and HBCDs) in freshwater species from Lake Trasimeno (Italy): The singular case of HBCDs in red swamp crayfish.

Pesticides

Cumulative exposure assessment of neonicotinoids and an investigation into their intake-related factors in young children in Japan.

A nationwide study of occurrence and exposure assessment of neonicotinoid insecticides and their metabolites in drinking water of China.

Predictors of Urinary Pyrethroid and Organophosphate Compound Concentrations among Healthy Pregnant Women in New York.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Serum level of lead and cadmium is linked to facial cosmetics use among Iranian young women.

Prevalence and factors associated with mercury exposure in riverside communities in the Brazilian Western Amazon.

Arsenic Concentrations in Household Drinking Water: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Pregnant Women in Tacna, Peru, 2019.

Long-term time trend of lead exposure in young German adults – Evaluation of more than 35 Years of data of the German Environmental Specimen Bank.

I got it from my mother: Inter-nest variation of mercury concentration in neonate Smooth-fronted Caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) suggests maternal transfer and possible phenotypical effects.

Influence of species-specific feeding ecology on mercury concentrations in seabirds breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand.

Monitoring and evaluating the control effect of dust suppressant on heavy metals based on ecological and health risks: a case study of Beijing.

Mercury bioaccumulation pathways in tusk (Brosme brosme) from Sognefjord, Norway: Insights from C and N isotopes.

Comparative Evaluation of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Residents of Abandoned Metal Mines .

Microplastics

Abundance and morphology of microplastics in an agricultural soil following long-term repeated application of pig manure.

A comparison of microplastic contamination in freshwater fish from natural and farmed sources.

The distribution of microplastics in the surface layer of the Atlantic Ocean from the subtropics to the equator according to visual analysis.

Air Pollution

Indoor and Outdoor PM₁₀-Bound PAHs in an Urban Environment. Similarity of Mixtures and Source Attribution.

Heterogeneous Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Air Quality in Northern China.

COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan: Ambient air quality and the relationships between criteria air pollutants and meteorological variables before, during, and after lockdown.

The impact of stay-home policies during Coronavirus-19 pandemic on the chemical and toxicological characteristics of ambient PM_2.5 in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Use and Blood Lead Levels in a Cohort of Young Women.

Water quality criteria for selected pharmaceuticals and personal care products for the protection of marine ecosystems.

Can ocean warming alter sub-lethal effects of antiepileptic and antihistaminic pharmaceuticals in marine bivalves?

Influence of ibuprofen and its biotransformation products on different biological sludge systems and ecosystem.

Safety Assessment of Trimellitic Anhydride Copolymers as Used in Cosmetics.
Safety Assessment of Ceramides as Used in Cosmetics.
Safety Assessment of Polyaminopropyl Biguanide (Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Hydrochloride) as Used in Cosmetics.
Safety Assessment of Monoglyceryl Monoesters as Used in Cosmetics.

Mixtures

Co-exposures to trace elements and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) impacts North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) baculum.

Investigation into Adaptation in Genes Associated with Response to Estrogenic Pollution in Populations of Roach (Rutilus rutilus) Living in English Rivers.

Miscellaneous

Landscape-level toxicant exposure mediates infection impacts on wildlife populations.

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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 Sa…@healthandenvironment.org and ask to join the group EDC_re…@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

EPA dismissed data on the neurotoxicity of common insecticides
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on November 1, 2024 at 12:53 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 November 1, 2024 at 11:26 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.
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.