EDC Science Weekly, Mar. 30 – Apr. 6, 2021

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:April 6, 2021
Post category:EDC Science Weekly

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

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

Events

April 7: Guidance on PFAS Testing and Health Outcomes – Eastern U.S. Town Hall [The National Academies]

April 14 Webinar: The Monsanto Papers [EDC Strategies Partnership]

April 15 Webinar: Putting the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability into action: Addressing EDCs and mixtures [Food Packaging Forum]

April 14-15: Leveraging Advances in Remote Geospatial Technologies to Inform Precision Environmental Health Decisions – A Workshop [The National Academies]

April 19-20 Conference:16th Annual Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities [The Southeast PEHSU and Break the Cycle of Health Disparities, Inc.]

April 21 Virtual Town Hall: EPA’s Lead & Copper Rule: What Schools and Child Care Need to Know [Children’s Environmental Health Network]

April 22 Earth Day Symposium: John P. Wyatt, M.D. Environment & Health Symposium [University of Kentucky]

Methods/Tools/Screening

Using the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens to Develop Research on Chemical Mixtures and Cancer.

Reviews in environmental health: How systematic are they?

Raman Spectroscopy of Marine Microplastics – A short comprehensive compendium for the environmental scientists.

Zebrafish as the toxicant screening model: Transgenic and omics approaches. [review]

Investigating Molecular Mechanisms of Immunotoxicity and the Utility of ToxCast for Immunotoxicity Screening of Chemicals Added to Food.

Bayesian Group Index Regression for Modeling Chemical Mixtures and Cancer Risk.

Predicting Potential Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Binding to Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) Using a Pipeline Combining Structure-Based and Ligand-Based in Silico Methods.

Predictive Toxicity Models for Chemically Related Substances: A Case Study with Non-Ionic Alcohol Ethoxylate Surfactant.

Commentaries/Conference Summaries

Confronting plastic pollution to protect environmental and public health. [Intro to a new collection of evidence-based commentaries in PLoS Biol.] Articles include:

Tackling the toxics in plastics packaging.
Addressing the environmental and health impacts of microplastics requires open collaboration between diverse sectors.

Uptake of Chemicals through the Skin: An Important Role of Filaggrin Gene Variants. [Science Selection in EHP]

Walking on a Redline: Did Discriminatory U.S. Housing Policies Affect Greenspace Development? [Science Selection in EHP]

Reviews

Numerous EDCs

Dietary Intake of Endocrine Disrupting Substances Presents in Environment and Their Impact on Thyroid Function.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and breast cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies.

BPA/Phenols/Phthalates

The Association of Bisphenol A and Phthalates with Risk of Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

A Review of Recent Studies on Bisphenol A and Phthalate Exposures and Child Neurodevelopment.

Bisphenol A and Metabolites in Meat and Meat Products: Occurrence, Toxicity, and Recent Development in Analytical Methods.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Advancing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) research: an overview of ATSDR and NCEH activities and recommendations.

Flame Retardants

Effects of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) on the reproductive health of male rodents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Effects of flame retardants on ovarian function.

Pesticides

Controversies on Endocrine and Reproductive Effects of Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides: A Mini-Review.

Could Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides Be Associated With Increased Thyroid Diseases Worldwide?

The ED/TEG Indicator for the Identification of Endocrine Disrupting or Toxic Effects on Endocrine Glands of Crop Protection Products Used in Organic and Conventional Agriculture in France.

Potentially Toxic Elements

A Review of Low-Dose Arsenic Risks and Human Cancers.

A Systematic Review on Metal Dynamics and Marine Toxicity Risk Assessment Using Crustaceans as Bioindicators.

The effects of some essential and toxic metals/metalloids in COVID-19: A review.

Metals associated Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease: Insight to Physiological, Pathological mechanisms and Management.

Environmental Heavy Metal Contamination from Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Recycling Activities Worldwide: A Systematic Review from 2005 to 2017

Metal elements and pesticides as risk factors for Parkinson’s disease – A review

Alterations in gene expression due to chronic lead exposure induce behavioral changes.

Microplastics

A Critical Review on the Impacts of Nanoplastics and Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Photosynthetic Organisms.

Microplastics: A Threat for Male Fertility.

Newly Emerging Airborne Pollutants: Current Knowledge of Health Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics.

Air Pollution

Association between ambient air pollution and tuberculosis risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Adverse effects of PM_2.5 on cardiovascular diseases.

Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

The transportation, transformation and (bio)accumulation of pharmaceuticals in the terrestrial ecosystem.

Anticancer drugs in the aquatic ecosystem: Environmental occurrence, ecotoxicological effect and risk assessment.

The Toxic Effects of Antibiotics on Freshwater and Marine Photosynthetic Microorganisms: State of the Art.

Pharmaceuticals Market, Consumption Trends and Disease Incidence Are Not Driving the Pharmaceutical Research on Water and Wastewater

Miscellaneous

The roles of inducible chromatin and transcriptional memory in cellular defense system responses to redox-active pollutants.

Exposure to formaldehyde and asthma outcomes: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and economic assessment.

Exposure and Public Health Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

Chronic environmental contamination: A narrative review of psychosocial health consequences, risk factors, and pathways to community resilience.

Human Health Studies

BPA/Phenols/Phthalates

Prenatal exposure to bisphenols and phthalates and postpartum depression: The role of neurosteroid hormone disruption.

Bisphenol A substitutes and sex hormones in children and adolescents.

Biomarkers of phthalates and inflammation: Findings from a subgroup of Women’s Health Initiative participants.

Urinary Biomarkers of Phthalates Exposure, Blood Lead Levels, and Risks of Thyroid Nodules.

Parabens

Determination of Intact Parabens in the Human Plasma of Cancer and Non-Cancer Patients Using a Validated Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Method with UV Detection.

Prenatal Exposure to Parabens Affects Birth Outcomes through Maternal Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) Polymorphisms: From the Mothers and Kids Environmental Health (MAKE) Study

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

A congener-specific and mixture analysis of plasma polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels and incident breast cancer.

Differential Disrupting Effects of Prolonged Low-Dose Exposure to Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane on Androgen and Estrogen Production in Males.

Flame Retardants

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Serum Concentrations and Depressive Symptomatology in Pregnant African American Women.

Association between Urinary Metabolite Levels of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants and Serum Sex Hormone Levels Measured in a Reference Sample of the US General Population.

Pesticides

Maternal urinary levels of glyphosate during pregnancy and anogenital distance in newborns in a US multicenter pregnancy cohort.

Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Lung Cancer Risk: A Propensity Score Analyses.

Occupational Paraquat and Glyphosate Exposure May Decline Renal Functions among Rural Farming Communities in Sri Lanka.

Association between pyrethroids and prostate endpoints; stratified according to renal function.

Evaluation of work place pesticide concentration and health complaints among women workers in tea plantation, Southern India.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Maternal blood metal concentrations and whole blood DNA methylation during pregnancy in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI).

Low-level exposure to lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, and blood pressure among 8-17-year-old participants of the 2009-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The Relationship between Occupationally Exposed Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead and Brain Bioelectrical Activity-A Visual and Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials Study

Air Pollution

Exposure to fine particulate matter-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, male semen quality, and reproductive hormones: The MARCHS study.

Assessing the Distribution of Air Pollution Health Risks within Cities: A Neighborhood-Scale Analysis Leveraging High-Resolution Data Sets in the Bay Area, California.

Ambient Air Pollution and Mortality among Older Patients Initiating Maintenance Dialysis.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and mortality for the older population: Effect modification by residential greenness.

Source-specific contributions of particulate matter to asthma-related pediatric emergency department utilization.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a prospective cohort study.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Risk of Weight Gain and Obesity in United States Veterans: An Observational Cohort Study.

Exposure to biomass fuel is associated with high blood pressure and fasting blood glucose impairment in females in southern rural China.

Prenatal exposure to criteria air pollutants and associations with congenital anomalies: A Lebanese national study.

Semen quality and windows of susceptibility: A case study during COVID-19 outbreak in China.

The Relationship between Traffic-Related Air Pollution Exposures and Allostatic Load Score among Youth with Type 1 Diabetes in the SEARCH Cohort.

Association of Preterm Birth with Depression and Particulate Matter: Machine Learning Analysis Using National Health Insurance Data.

Systemic Inflammation (C-Reactive Protein) in Older Chinese Adults Is Associated with Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution.

The Association of White Blood Cells and Air Pollutants-A Population-Based Study

Associations of Pre- and Postnatal Air Pollution Exposures with Child Blood Pressure and Modification by Maternal Nutrition: A Prospective Study in the CANDLE Cohort.

Miscellaneous

Comparison of a Barcode-Based Smartphone Application to a Questionnaire to Assess the Use of Cleaning Products at Home and Their Association with Asthma Symptoms.

Laboratory Studies

Numerous chemicals

Testing in vitro tools for the prediction of cholestatic liver injury induced by non-pharmaceutical chemicals.

BPA/Phenols

The effects of bisphenol A given in ovo on bursa of Fabricius development and percentage of acid phosphatase positive lymphocyte in chicken.

Effects of nonylphenol exposure on histological changes, apoptosis and time-course transcriptome in gills of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

Characterization of Estrogenic Activity and Site-Specific Accumulation of Bisphenol-A in Epididymal Fat Pad: Interfering Effects on the Endocannabinoid System and Temporal Progression of Germ Cells.

Changes Caused by Low Doses of Bisphenol A (BPA) in the Neuro-Chemistry of Nerves Located in the Porcine Heart.

Bisphenol A-induced Alterations in Different Stages of Spermatogenesis and Systemic Toxicity in Albino Mice (Mus musculus).

Phthalates

DEHP Down-Regulates Tshr Gene Expression in Rat Thyroid Tissues and FRTL-5 Rat Thyrocytes: A Potential Mechanism of Thyroid Disruption.

n-Butyl Benzyl Phthalate Exposure Promotes Lesion Survival in a Murine Endometriosis Model.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor Treatment and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Exposure in a Dietary-Exposure Mouse Model of Steatohepatitis.

Low-Dose Exposure to Endocrine Disruptor Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) Affects Transcriptional Regulation of Adrenal Zona Reticularis in Male Rats.

Developmental exposure to DDT or DDE alters sympathetic innervation of brown adipose in adult female mice.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Acute Toxicity and Trans-Generational Effects of Perfluorobutane Sulfonate (PFBS) in Caenorhabditis elegans.

In-Vitro and In-Silico Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Binding to Human Serum Albumin.

The Role of Transcription Factor Nrf2 in the Toxicity of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in C57BL/6 Mouse Astrocytes.

Pesticides

Fungicide bromuconazole has the potential to induce hepatotoxicity at the physiological, metabolomic and transcriptomic levels in rats.

Searching an auxinic herbicide to use as positive control in toxicity assays.

Effect of chlorpyrifos on the earthworm Eudrilus euginae and their gut microbiome by toxicological and metagenomic analysis.

Fluorofenidone attenuates paraquat‑induced pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and autophagy.

Hemodynamic and electromechanical effects of paraquat in rat heart.

Three widely used pesticides and their mixtures induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis through the ROS-related caspase pathway in HepG2 cells.

Pulmonary Inflammatory Response from Co-exposure to LPS and Glyphosate.

Ameliorative effect of N-acetylcysteine against glyphosate-induced hepatotoxicity in adult male albino rats: histopathological, biochemical, and molecular studies.

Glyphosate and AMPA Induce Alterations in Expression of Genes Involved in Chromatin Architecture in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (In Vitro).

Reproductive Toxicity of 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) on Javanese Medaka (Oryziasjavanicus, Bleeker 1854).

Whole-Body Acute Contact Toxicity of Formulated Insecticide Mixtures to Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia lignaria).

Short-term intake of deltamethrin-contaminated fruit, even at low concentrations, induces testicular damage in fruit-eating bats (Artibeus lituratus).

Effects of two pesticides on northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) stress metrics: Blood cell profiles and corticosterone concentrations.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Dietary Fructooligosaccharides Reduce Mercury Levels in the Brain of Mice Exposed to Methylmercury.

Changes induced by chronic exposure to high arsenic concentrations in the intestine and its microenvironment.

Temperature Effects During a Sublethal Chronic Metal Mixture Exposure on Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Tissue distribution of polystyrene nanoplastics in mice and their entry, transport, and cytotoxicity to GES-1 cells.

The reactive oxygen species as pathogenic factors of fragmented microplastics to macrophages.

Long Term Exposure to Virgin and Recycled LDPE Microplastics Induced Minor Effects in the Freshwater and Terrestrial Crustaceans Daphnia magna and Porcellio scaber.

A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Characterisation of Engineered Nanomaterials in Nano-Enabled Products Exhibiting Priority Environmental Exposure.

Air Pollution

Effects of concentrated ambient ultrafine particulate matter on hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease in the 3xTgAD mouse model.

Ambient air PM_2.5 exposure induces heart injury and cardiac hypertrophy in rats through regulation of miR-208a/b, α/β-MHC, and GATA4.

Inhaled exposure to air fresheners aggravated liver injury in a murine model of nonalcoholic fatty acid liver disease.

Miscellaneous

Sucralose Affects Thyroid Hormone Signaling in American Bullfrog [Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana] Tadpoles.

Exposure to butylated hydroxytoluene compromises endometrial decidualization during early pregnancy.

Binding of Androgen- and Estrogen-Like Flavonoids to Their Cognate (Non)Nuclear Receptors: A Comparison by Computational Prediction.

Kefir milk alleviates benzene-induced immunotoxicity and hematotoxicity in rats.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals

Environmental chemicals in dog testes reflect their geographical source and may be associated with altered pathology. [phthalates, PCBs, PBDEs]

Occurrence of bisphenol A and microplastics in landfill leachate: lessons from South East Europe.

Exposure to Triclosan and Bisphenol Analogues B, F, P, S and Z in Repeated Duplicate-Diet Solid Food Samples of Adults

Quantified Activity Patterns for Young Children in Beach Environments Relevant for Exposure to Contaminants.

BPA/Phenols

Bisphenol A and S in the Urine of Newborns: Plastic for Non-Food Use Still without Rules.

Occurrence of Free-Form and Conjugated Bisphenol Analogues in Marine Organisms.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Ecotoxicity of triclosan in soil: an approach using different species.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Monitoring of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Human Breast Milk in the Northern Governorates of Jordan in 2019/2020 Compared with the Results of 2015 Study.

Time Trend of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Greenlandic Inuit during 1994-2015.

Organochlorine Pesticide Ban Facilitated Reproductive Recovery of Chinese Striped Hamsters.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Occurrence and abundance of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) on microplastics (MPs) in Pearl River Estuary (PRE) region: Spatial and temporal variations.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Transport from Groundwater to Streams near a PFAS Manufacturing Facility in North Carolina, USA.

Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water Treatment Plants from Korea: Occurrence and Human Exposure.

Perfluoroalkyl substance excretion: Effects of organic anion-inhibiting and resin-binding drugs in a community setting.

Occurrence and sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the ice-melting lakes of Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica.

Pesticides

Analysis of six pyrethroid insecticide metabolites in cord serum using a novel gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry method.

Reducing dermal exposure to agrochemical carcinogens using a fluorescent dye-based intervention among subsistence farmers in rural Honduras.

Effects of Pesticide Use on the Distributions of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) and Great Egrets (Ardea alba) in Rice Fields of the Republic of Korea.

Potentially Toxic Elements

Lead Emissions and Population Vulnerability in the Detroit Metropolitan Area, 2006-2013: Impact of Pollution, Housing Age and Neighborhood Racial Isolation and Poverty on Blood Lead in Children

The Toxicological Risk Assessment of Lead and Cadmium in Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root) as Herbal Medicinal Product for the Relief of Mild Nervous Tension and Sleep Disorders Available in Polish Pharmacies.

Presence of heavy metals in drinking water resources of Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ecological-health risks assessment and source identification of heavy metals in typical greenhouse vegetable production systems in Northwest China.

What do we know about the ecotoxicological implications of the rare earth element gadolinium in aquatic ecosystems?

Direct and Indirect Neurotoxic Potential of Metal/Metalloids in Plants and Fungi Used for Food, Dietary Supplements, and Herbal Medicine.

The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension.

Artisanal and Small Gold Mining and Petroleum Production as Potential Sources of Heavy Metal Contamination in Ecuador: A Call to Action

Investigating the chromium status, heavy metal contamination, and ecological risk assessment via tannery waste disposal in sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya and South Africa).

Mercury Concentrations in Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) of the Finger Lakes Region, New York.

Microplastics

Microplastics as vectors of metals contamination in Mediterranean Sea.

Multiple impacts of microplastics can threaten marine habitat-forming species.

Presence of microplastics in drinking water from freshwater sources: the investigation in Changsha, China.

Air Pollution

Biomonitoring of Ambient Outdoor Air Pollutant Exposure in Humans Using Targeted Serum Albumin Adductomics.

Health impact assessment of air pollutants during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Brazilian metropolis.

How do pollutants change post-pandemic? Evidence from changes in five key pollutants in nine Chinese cities most affected by the COVID-19.

Air Quality During COVID-19 Lockdown in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta: Two Different Responsive Mechanisms to Emission Reductions in China.

Air Pollution Status in 10 Mega-Cities in China during the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Outbreak.

Effect of COVID-19 on air quality and pollution in different countries.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Plastic additives and personal care products in south China house dust and exposure in child-mother pairs.

Rainfall Influences Occurrence of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in Landfill Leachates: Evidence from Seasonal Variations and Extreme Rainfall Episodes.

UV filters as a driver of the antibiotic pollution in different water matrices.

Miscellaneous

On the nature of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with sporting walkways dust: Concentrations, sources and relative health risk.

Characterisation of (anti-)progestogenic and (anti-)androgenic activities in surface and wastewater using high resolution effectdirected analysis.

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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.

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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.