EDC Science Weekly, Aug. 15-21, 2025

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

Contents: Events, Regulations/Policy, Methods/Tools/Screening, Commentaries, Reviews/Meta-Analyses, Human Health Studies, Laboratory Studies, Exposure/Environment Studies

Highlights:

Prenatal microplastic exposure and umbilical cord blood hormones.
Brain abnormalities in children Exposed prenatally to chlorpyrifos.
Asymmetric evaluations of scientific evidence indicating harm compared to evidence indicating an absence of harm in regulatory appraisals
Beyond Competitive Binding: New Biochemical Insights Challenge Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Screening Paradigms.
Beyond Estrogenicity: A Comparative Assessment of Bisphenol A and Its Alternatives in In Vitro Assays Questions Safety of Replacements.

Science summaries and highlights

Events

Aug. 27 webinar: Plastic bottled water: The poison we pay for [Plastic Pollution Coalition]

Sept. 15: ECHO symposium: translating science to action [hybrid] [NIH Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)]

Sept. 15 Grand Rounds: PCBs: A legacy pollutant [on zoom] [Region 1 PEHSU and Boston Children’s Hospital; CE credits available]

Sept. 17 webinar: The Health Effects of Chemicals used in Food Packaging [Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments]

Sept. 22: Plastics, Human Health, and Solutions Symposium [NYU Langone Health Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards (CIEH)]

Sept. 29 conference: REACH revision 2025: simpler, faster, bolder, in Brussels [HEAL and CHEM Trust]

Oct. 14 webinar: ToxicDocs: A database of once-secret chemical industry documents [CHE]

Note: HEEDS is now accepting applications for the Lou Guillette, Jr. Outstanding Young Investigator Award, due Sept. 30.

More events

Regulations/Policy

Asymmetr ic evaluations of scientific evidence indicating harm compared to evidence indicating an absence of harm in regulatory appraisals

More EDC policy, FPF’s regulations open for comment, Science’s Trump-Tracker, and links to preserved resources removed from U.S. federal websites

Methods/Tools/Screening

Beyond Competitive Binding: New Biochemical Insights Challenge Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Screening Paradigms.

Nanoplastics Toxicity Is a Subset of Nanotoxicology, Not a Separate Field.

Microplastics in the environment: The role of polymer science.

Identifying Metabolic Signatures of Bisphenol Analog Exposure: Implication for Rapid Toxicity Screening of New Alternatives.

An integrated environmental toxicity risk assessment framework combining deep learning and molecular simulation: A case study on pyrethrins and breast cancer.

Commentaries

Bee species and the impact of insecticides and pollutants. [intro to a special issue of Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology]

Agricultural Microplastics Pollution: From Hidden Threats to Global Food Security Towards Sustainable Strategies.

Focusing plastic solutions up the waste hierarchy: Pathways for a more circular economy.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Protective role of gallic acid in sperm health and environmentally induced male infertility: A narrative review of human-relevant and translational preclinical studies.

Assessment of ovarian dysfunction induced by environmental toxins: a systematic review.

Unraveling the Core of Endometriosis: The Impact of Endocrine Disruptors.

The Role of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Development of Atherosclerosis.

BPA/Phenols

Protective Effect of Melatonin Against Bisphenol A Toxicity.

Phthalates

Endocrine disruption to metastasis: How phthalates promote breast carcinogenesis.

Phthalate esters in riverine systems: A comprehensive review of their occurrence, detection, environmental fate, and ecotoxicological impacts.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor: a promising target for intestinal fibrosis therapy.

PFAS

PFAS in water environments: recent progress and challenges in monitoring, toxicity, treatment technologies, and post-treatment toxicity.

PFOA biomonitoring and kidney cancer risk: a meta-analysis of serum levels.

Essential Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Our Society of the Future.

Flame Retardants

A One Health approach to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): Integrating human, animal, and environmental health perspectives.

Pesticides

Collateral damage of neonicotinoid insecticides: Unintended effects on gut microbiota of non-target organisms.

Transformation Products of Neonicotinoids: A Review of Human Exposure, Toxicity, and Health Risks.

Metals/Metalloids

Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Heavy Metal Toxicity: Bridging the Gap to Personalized Clinical Interventions.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Forever particles: histochemistry in the plasticene age.

Impact of microplastics on the human gut microbiome: a systematic review of microbial composition, diversity, and metabolic disruptions.

Biological Modulation of Autophagy by Nanoplastics: A Current Overview.

A Comprehensive Review of Applications and Environmental Risks of Waste Plastics in Asphalt Pavements.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology

Miscellaneous

Occurrence and environmental fate/behaviors of tire wear particles and their human and ecological health: an emerging global issue.

Lignin-derived biomaterials for environmental application: Advancements in sustainable leather and bioplastic production: A review.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and their associations with birthweight in the GUSTO cohort.

BPA/Phenols

Association between prenatal exposure to bisphenols and preterm birth: the interaction effect of anemia.

Phthalates

Gestational phthalate levels and biomarkers of aging in infants and children from New York City.

Does epigenetic aging mediate the associations between phthalate exposure and renal function?

Phthalate exposure is associated with subclinical coronary atherosclerosis: The Aragon Workers’ Health Study (AWHS).

Phthalate exposure, oxidative stress and hypertension risk: Exploring associations and mediation effects in a Chinese general population.

Phthalate metabolite mixtures and dose-response associations with depressive symptoms in U.S. adults.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Associations between persistent organic pollutants and thyroid-related hormones and homeostasis parameters in middle-aged to older men and postmenopausal women: The HCHS/SOL.

Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Children with Hematological Disorders.

PFAS

PFAS Exposure and Postoperative Weight Regain in Adolescents After Bariatric Surgery: Findings From the Teen-LABS Study.

Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure via infant feeding and the gut microbiota of preterm infants: A study of mother-preterm infant dyads.

Perfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Mixtures Drive Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Through Immunosuppression: Integrating Epidemiology and Mechanistic Evidence.

Individual and combined effects of maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure on preterm birth: a nested case-control study in China.

Association between Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and hypercholesterolemia among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study.

Associations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with terminal ductal lobular unit involution of the normal breast.

Flame Retardants

Dysregulated lipid metabolism mediates the association between brominated flame retardant exposure and hyperuricemia: Evidence from NHANES 2003-2004.

Oxidative stress mediates the association between brominated flame retardants and hyperlipidemia in US adults.

The association of organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) exposure on omega-3 fatty acids metabolism: evidence derived from the United States general population.

Pesticides

Brain Abnormalities in Children Exposed Prenatally to the Pesticide Chlorpyrifos.

Gestational exposure to organophosphate pesticides and maternal urine metabolomic profile in the GENEIDA birth cohort.

Metals/Metalloids

Low-Level Environmental Metals Exposures, Biomarkers of Myocardial Injury and Hemodynamic Stress, and Mortality Risk.

Chronic arsenic exposure and cardiometabolic biomarkers in adolescents in the MINIMat longitudinal study.

Blood transcriptome changes linked to long-term arsenic exposure through drinking water – a cross-sectional study from the Bolivian Andes.

Cytokine Profile and Early Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Occupationally Lead-Exposed Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Prenatal microplastic exposure and umbilical cord blood androgenic and glucocorticoid hormones.

Take-out Containers as NPs Reservoirs: Diet-Driven Gut Dysbiosis and Barrier Disruption in University Students.

Miscellaneous

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons weaken the protective effects of serum fatty acids on fasting blood glucose.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as potential risk factors for thyroid cancer: Epidemiological evidence of urinary metabolites and thyroid-related hormones.

Laboratory Studies

BPA/Phenols

Beyond Estrogenicity: A Comparative Assessment of Bisphenol A and Its Alternatives in In Vitro Assays Questions Safety of Replacements.

Androgenic overactivation and epigenetic remodeling drive intergenerational toxicity of bisphenol S in zebrafish.

BPA disrupts crustacean reproduction: Tissue-specific accumulation, oxidative stress, and gene dysregulation in Macrobrachium nipponense.

Effects of BPAF Exposure on Endometrial Remodeling: A Focus on The Homeostasis of The Extracellular Matrix and The Immune Status.

Bisphenol F exposure induced vascular toxicity through intestinal microbiota imbalance.

Unveiling the impact of bisphenol a exposure on gene expression and immune response in diabetic nephropathy through integrative toxicogenomics and molecular dynamics approaches.

Integrated transcriptome analysis of rats exposed to bisphenol mixtures from the fetal to developmental stage.

Enhanced toxicity of bisphenol F compared to its predecessor bisphenol A in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during a six-week feeding trial.

Phthalates

Reproductive Toxicity Effects of Phthalates Based on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis: A Priority Control List Construction from Theoretical Methods.

Dibutyl phthalate concentration-driven life history trade-offs in rotifers: From hormonal stimulation to oxidative collapse.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Integration of vitro models with machine learning and epidemiological data reveals PCB-induced glucose metabolism disruption linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-ligand hexachlorobenzene promotes immunosuppression leading to mammary tumor growth and metastasis in a HER2-positive syngeneic mouse model.

PFAS

Medium-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids exert male reproductive toxicity at environmental and human exposure levels by antagonizing androgen receptor mediated pathways.

Perfluorohexanoic acid exhibits more potential for the proliferation, migration, and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer cells under the 3D culture model.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance-Induced Skin Barrier Disruption and the Potential Role of Calcitriol in Atopic Dermatitis.

Liver and Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Proteins Are Not Critical for Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) Tissue Distribution and Elimination in Mice.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) induces apoptosis in primary cortical neurons via stimulating ROS production and NF-κB activation.

Flame Retardants

Effects of TBBPA Exposure on Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Mice.

Chemical proteomics reveals human liver fatty acid binding protein as a predominant and selective target of triphenyl phosphate.

Pesticides

Impact of Embryonic Exposure of Atrazine on the Physiological and Behavioral Parameters in Drosophila melanogaster.

Network toxicology‑guided validation of glyphosate’s neurotoxic mechanisms in human: From in silico prediction to experimental proof.

Computational and spectrofluorimetric validation on glyphosate interactions with zebrafish acetylcholinesterase: Mechanistic and ecotoxicological implications.

Imidacloprid actions in the mouse mammary gland structure and epithelial mammary cells. Role of GPER and nAChR.

Pesticide-Induced Epigenetic Suppression of WNT Signaling and NF-κB-Driven Inflammation Impairs Ovarian Function in Rats.

Baicalein mitigates chlorpyrifos-induced intestinal injury by blocking AMPK-ULK1 binding via the autophagy/ferroptosis axis.

Metals/Metalloids

Real-life metal mixtures: the impact on male reproductive health in Wistar rats.

Environmental cadmium exposure aggravates renal fibrosis and reduced renal lipid accumulation in diabetic mice.

The Relationship Between Gut Microbiota-Related Hippocampal Tryptophan Metabolite and Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Neurobehavioral Changes Induced by Chronic Inorganic Arsenic Exposure in Rats.

Novel Role of Gut-Derived Roseburia Intestinalis in Safeguarding Intestinal Barrier Integrity and Microenvironment Homeostasis During Arsenic Exposure.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Nanoplastic Disrupts Intestinal Homeostasis in Immature Rats by Altering the Metabolite Profile and Gene Expression.

Chronic exposure to polystyrene micro/nanoplastics triggers testicular dysfunction through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling-mediated spermatocyte senescence in mice.

The combined toxicity assessment of polystyrene microplastics and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on cardiac development in zebrafish embryos.

PET microplastics alter the transcriptome profile and oxidative stress markers in the liver of immature piglets: an in vivo study.

Ingestion of environmentally sourced polyvinyl chloride microplastic fragments increases colon inflammation and fibrosis in mice.

Extreme low-temperature exacerbates polystyrene microplastic-induced neuroendocrine and behavioral dysfunctions in female mice.

Polystyrene nanoplastics induced retinal toxicity: Size-, dose-, and developmental stage-dependent effects on human neural retina organoids.

Interaction of nanoplastics with metronidazole and ciprofloxacin: The Trojan Horse effect.

Polystyrene Nanoplastic Contaminants Denature Human Apolipoprotein A-1.

Taurine improves bovine oocytes maturation through recovering mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress-induced apoptosis after microplastics exposure.

Biodistribution of nanoplastics in mice: advancing analytical techniques using metal-doped plastics.

Molecular Basis by Which PVC Nanoplastics Elicit Neurotoxic Outcomes.

Air Pollution

RNA Sequencing Reveals Inflammatory and Metabolic Changes in the Lung and Brain After Carbon Black and Naphthalene Whole Body Inhalation Exposure in a Rodent Model of Military Burn Pit Exposures.

Miscellaneous

Microcystin-LR hijacks mitochondrial bioenergetics and Wnt crosstalk: Unveiling a novel dual-pathway mechanism for adipogenesis dysregulation in environmental toxicology.

Transcriptomic points of departure for 6PPD-Quinone derived from human Caco-2 and HepG2 cells.

Toxicity of ubiquitous tire rubber antiozonant N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N‘-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and its transformation product 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) in primary human hepatocytes and liver spheroids.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Maternal factors associated with plasma concentrations of endocrine-disrupting persistent organic pollutants including PFAS among Hispanic women from pregnancy to the post-delivery period.

Biomonitoring, dietary predictors, drinking water ingestion of 33 endocrine disrupting chemicals in primary school children in China, towards an exposome approach.

Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals in Greek backyard chicken eggs and estimation of the consumption risk.

Phthalate and Nonphthalate Plasticizer Exposure among Children of Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and Bangladesh: Occurrences and Risk Comparison.

PFAS

Target and Non-Target Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water: Focus on Alternatives and Health Risks.

High-resolution mass spectrometry for extended PFAS surveillance in food: combining suspect and non-targeted approaches.

Migration Safety of Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Sugarcane Pulp Tableware: Residue Analysis and Takeout Simulation Study.

Analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the US meat, poultry, catfish, and eggs.

Exposure of free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at PFAS-impacted sites in Minnesota.

Flame Retardants

Exposure assessment for air-to-skin uptake of traditional and emerging organophosphate flame retardants.

Organophosphate esters in surface water across China: Occurrence, distribution, driving factors and ecological risk.

Environmental impacts of chemically recycling flame retardant cotton textile.

Pesticides

Non-dietary personal pesticide exposure using silicone wristbands across 10 European countries.Polystyrene nanoplastics induced retinal toxicity: Size-, dose-, and developmental stage-dependent effects on human neural retina organoids.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Biodegradable microplastics exacerbate the risk of antibiotic resistance genes pollution in agricultural soils.

Microplastic Distribution Patterns in Fish and Implications for Safe Consumption.

Miscellaneous

Quantification and mapping of tyre wear emissions: from EU regional analysis to global projections.

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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. Industry-funded articles are included without notation. Note that journal publication dates may be different from dates added to PubMed. To see the searchable archives, please email me and ask to join the EDC Science Weekly group EDC_research@googlegroups.com. There are searchable archives. Compiled by Sarah Howard of Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), a program of Environmental Health Sciences.

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