New EDC Science

In a recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists examined how a diet of food prepared using plastic cutting boards versus food prepared on wooden cutting boards impacted the intestinal health of mice. “This study highlights the varied health effects of MPs released from different cutting board materials, suggesting that no plastic cutting boards can be considered entirely ‘safe’.”

As the National Institutes of Health tries to restart its stalled grant process, new Trump-era oversight is injecting politics into decisions once guided by science. Sara Reardon reports for Science.

A growing body of research shows that donated blood is contaminated with industrial chemicals like PFAS, lead, mercury, and cadmium — and no one is regulating the risk. Bruce Lanphear writes for Substack.

Despite pledging to reduce toxins, President Trump’s policies are rolling back environmental protections and slashing medical research funding, raising alarms among scientists and public health advocates. Thomas B. Edsall writes for The New York Times.

A recent study published in Environmental Research tested pregnancy supplements – including 165 prenatal vitamins and 19 folic acid supplements – for lead, cadmium and phthalate chemicals. “Clear and enforceable regulations regarding frequent testing and restriction of lead and cadmium contamination in prenatal vitamins are needed.”

American scientists are weighing moves to Europe as universities abroad offer refuge from Trump administration policies that have restricted research funding and academic freedom. Leo Sands reports for The Washington Post.

Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health say new restrictions under the Trump administration are stalling critical medical research and destabilizing the agency’s workforce. Gina Kolata reports for The New York Times.

A new documentary reveals how microplastics have infiltrated nearly every part of the human body, raising alarm over their link to disease and global calls for regulation. Liz Kimbrough reports for Mongabay.

A new nationwide study links exposure to PFAS in drinking water with significantly higher rates of multiple cancers, including some not previously associated with the chemicals. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

A Canadian clinical trial published in the journal Environmental Health, found some reductions of PFAS concentrations in people taking dietary fiber supplements for 4 weeks. In short:

Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology is the first to investigate prenatal exposure to pesticides and menstrual health during adolescence. In short:

Guadeloupe and Martinique have some of the highest prostate cancer rates in the world, a crisis tied to decades of exposure to the toxic pesticide chlordecone, which was widely used on banana plantations despite early warnings of its dangers. Mathilde Augustin reports for The Guardian.

Editor’s note: This op-ed was written by a group of current and former employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who have asked to remain anonymous due to concerns about retaliation. The Trump administration is making accusations of fraud, waste, and abuse associated with federal environmental justice programs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as justification for firing federal workers and defunding critical environmental programs. But the real waste, fraud, and abuse would be to strip away these funds from the American people.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many herbicides, disrupts female hormones, damages reproductive organs, and may contribute to infertility and diseases like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, according to a new scientific review. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

Government researchers are being told to flag work on vaccines, fluoride, autism, and 20 other topics for special review — raising concerns about scientific censorship. Annie Waldman and Lisa Song report for ProPublica.

The Food Packaging Forum updates their Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex), identifying 1,060 new chemicals present in or migrating from food packaging and other food contact articles. The database now includes 5,294 chemicals (a 20% increase since 2023), and over 35,500 database entries (a 30% increase).

In a recent paper published by Nature Medicine, researchers examined micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) contamination in brain, liver, and kidney tissue samples collected between 2016 and 2024. “I have yet to encounter a single human being who says, ‘There’s a bunch of plastic in my brain and I’m totally cool with that.’”

A new study published in Journal of Hazardous Materials demonstrates how plastic drinking water pipes break down when subjected to high temperatures. “Various VOCs, such as benzene… and vinyl chloride, have been detected in drinking water systems exceeding their health-based state and federal maximum contaminant levels.”

Thousands of scientists worldwide are uniting against the Trump administration’s attacks on science, with major protests planned today to defend research funding, diversity initiatives, and academic freedom. Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

Exposure to multiple pesticides significantly increases the risk of childhood cancers, with new research showing higher rates of brain cancer and leukemia in agricultural communities. Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.