EDC Science Weekly, July 18-24, 2025

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:July 24, 2025
Post category:EDC Science Weekly

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

Note: Next week there will be no publication due to vacation.

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

Highlights:

Polyethylene and Polyvinyl Chloride Nanoplastics in Human Follicular Fluid and Seminal Plasma: Impact on Fertilization and Sperm Quality.
Exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in association to later occurrence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic pathway dysregulation in a multiethnic US population.

Science summaries and highlights

Events

July 26 panel discussion: Plastics, Pollution, and the Cost to Our Health [EcoMadres]

July 28-30: DOHaD summer course [Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) Society]

July 30 – Aug. 1 conference: U.S. DOHaD Society Annual Meeting

July 30 webinar: How waterless products make plastic-free packaging possible [Plastic Pollution Coalition]

July 31 webinar: Excellent Alternatives to Plastic Packaging [Beyond Plastics]

Aug. 17 in-person workshop: How to conduct gold-star systematic reviews [PRHE, at the ISEE-ISES conference]

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

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]

More events

Regulations/Policy

Scientific cooperation among Europe’s One Health agencies.

Why are PFOS Ecological Surface Water Quality Criteria So Different Between Countries? A Review of Differences in Regulatory Guidance.

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

The Importance of Recruitment of Low-Income Pregnant Persons in Interdisciplinary Research to Understand the Impact of Social and Environmental Determinants: Lessons Learned About Implementation and Recruitment.

Applying New Approach Methods for Toxicokinetics for Chemical Risk Assessment

Inter-laboratory validation study of an in vitro glucocorticoid receptor transactivation assay for testing potential endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Beyond traditional toxicology: The transformative power of PBTK modeling.

Machine learning classification of steatogenic compounds using toxicogenomics profiles.

Refining High-Throughput In Vitro-In vivo Extrapolation Modeling through Incorporation of Intestinal Toxicokinetics.

Biomonitoring – more than analysis of biomarkers: advancing the use of biological guidance values.

Commentaries

Microplastics and the Placenta: A Call to Action for Perinatal Research.

Phthalates and Cardiovascular Risk: A Call for Awareness in Clinical Practice.

Environmental endocrine disruptors: rethinking the origins of early-onset ER⁺ breast cancer.

Specific Ambient PM_2.5-Bound Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): A Prominent Human Health Risk Issue That Deserves Attention?

The Lancet One Health Commission: harnessing our interconnectedness for equitable, sustainable, and healthy socioecological systems.

Bridging the Microplastics-Public Health Research Gap: A Call for Translational Action in Vulnerable Populations.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

The relationship between metabolic syndrome and environmental endocrine disruptors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cell-free circulating epigenomic signatures: Non-invasive biomarkers of pregnancy-related outcomes associated with plasticizer exposure.

A systematic review of the pivotal role of environmental toxicant exposure on infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

Environmental Xenobiotics and Epigenetic Modifications: Implications for Human Health and Disease.

Phthalates

Interplay between algae and phthalates in the aquatic environment: review and perspectives.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

DDT: last mile in the global phase-out of its use for disease vector control?

Metals/Metalloids

Metals in the Human Liver: An Underappreciated Risk Factor of Hepatic Insulin Resistance and Associated Pathophysiology.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Insights into the toxic effects of micro-nano-plastics on the human brain and their relationship with the onset of neurological diseases: a narrative review.

Impact of micro- and nanoplastics on gastrointestinal diseases: Recent advances.

Artificial intelligence-driven detection of microplastics in food: A comprehensive review of sources, health risks, detection techniques, and emerging artificial intelligence solutions.

Interactions between polyaromatic hydrocarbons and microplastics: Environmental mechanisms and ecotoxicological impacts.

The Impact of Cadmium Telluride Quantum Dots on Male Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review of Toxicological Effects and Mechanisms.

Emerging threat of environmental microplastics: A comprehensive analysis of hepatic metabolic dysregulation and hepatocellular damage (Review).

Unravelling the potential mechanisms of nano- and microplastic toxicity to the male reproductive system: A systematic review.

Micro/Nanoplastic-Driven Cardiovascular Senescence and Multi-Target Intervention by Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Maternal Exposure to Trace Elements and Perfluoroalkyl Acids and their associations with alterations of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis.

Mixtures of chemicals in pregnancy and their effects on cognitive and fine motor abilities in childhood.

Concurrent Associations of Glyphosate, Dithiocarbamate Fungicides, and PFAS with Body Fat Composition and BMI in Adolescents from Agricultural Communities.

BPA/Phenols

Case Report: Toxic tubulointerstitial nephropathy with lipofuscin deposition – the potential cause of occupational Bisphenol-A exposition.

Phthalates

Urinary phthalate metabolites associate with blood levels of estrogen quinone-derived hemoglobin adducts in Taiwanese pregnant women.

Airborne phthalate exposures and hypertension in the Sister Study.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Associations of internal persistent organic pollutant levels with sex hormones: An analysis by sex and menopausal status in a Spanish cohort.

Exposure to Dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls during Pregnancy and fetal thyroid function; A mixture analysis.

Increased reproductive cancer risks following early-life dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) exposure: Evidence from a historical population-based study in Taiwan (1952-1957).

PFAS

Exposure to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in association to later occurrence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic pathway dysregulation in a multiethnic US population.

A Case-Cohort Study of the Association between Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Breast Cancer among Participants in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-II.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood executive function and behavioral difficulties at age 7: evidence from the Shanghai birth cohort study.

Standing at the crossroads: How does amino acids function in the crosstalk between pancreas and the kidney under exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are linked to incident primary dyslipidaemia: A prospective study from Chinese governmental employee cohort.

Systemic chronic inflammation mediates the effect of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure on the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study among Chinese government employees.

Flame Retardants

Epigenome-wide association study of gestational exposure to organophosphate esters and replacement brominated flame retardants with newborn DNA methylation.

Pesticides

Associations of specific pesticides and incident rheumatoid arthritis among female spouses in the Agricultural Health Study

Analysis of the expression profile and biological function of plasma miRNAs in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma patients occupationally exposed to pesticides.

Metals/Metalloids

Inflammatory and metabolic markers mediate the association between urinary metals and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Using Life’s Essential 8 and heavy metal exposure to determine infertility risk in American women: a machine learning prediction model based on the SHAP method.

Environmental Arsenic Exposure, Biomarkers and Lung Function in Children from Yaqui Communities in Sonora, Mexico.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Polyethylene and Polyvinyl Chloride Nanoplastics in Human Follicular Fluid and Seminal Plasma: Impact on Fertilization and Sperm Quality.

Air Pollution

Ambient air pollution is particularly associated with visceral fat accumulation in men: A large-scale Korean adult study.

Laboratory Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Integrative causal and single-cell analyses reveal genes responsive to endocrine disruptors driving human male infertility.

BPA/Phenols

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A disrupts RNA splicing in the prefrontal cortex and promotes behaviors related to autism in offspring.

Sexual Behavior of the Offspring of Female Rats Exposed to Bisphenol A.

The Influence of Bisphenol A on the Molecular Biological Characteristics of Human Colon Adenocarcinoma HT-29 Culture Cells.

Altered cofactor recruitment and nucleosome dynamics underlie bisphenol A’s impact on ERα-mediated transcriptional bursting.

Significant enhancement of inhibitory strength of bisphenol A analogs against human and rat 5α-reductase 1 upon halogenation of the benzene ring: Potentially disrupting neurosteroid biosynthesis.

Bisphenol A suppresses colon epithelial cell responses via G₀/G₁-phase arrest, MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathway modulation, and MMP-2/9 Inhibition by upregulating p21WAF1.

3-hydroxykynurenine increase in kynurenine pathway driven bisphenol F induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors.

Plastic additive bisphenol S induces depression by promoting AZU1/CTSD proteins to mediate plasma-related proteins and metabolites: A comprehensive multi-omics analysis.

Phthalates

N-acetyl cysteine mediated inhibition of glucose regulated protein-78 abrogates activating transcription factor-4 dependent endoplasmic reticulum stress and neurodegeneration following exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate in zebrafish brain.

Mechanistic insight into plasticizer di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate as an environmental hazard for abdominal aortic aneurysm: Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies.

Synergies of dibutyl phthalate on high-fat diet can aggravate cardiac fibrosis/dysfunction and the protective effects of vitamin E and salidroside: A molecular toxicological study in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Targeted RNA-sequencing of testes from fetal rats exposed to dicyclohexyl phthalate informs potency and adverse outcome pathway development.

Bis(2-Ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-Tetrabromophthalate Promotes NASH Progression through Disrupting Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondria Contacts.

Toxicity and mechanism of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in premature ovarian failure: A network toxicology prediction and molecular docking analysis.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

A Potential Mechanism of Triclosan-Induced Neurotoxicity in Zebrafish at Environmental Concentrations: Splicing Disruption of tecra Mediates the circRNA266/miR-214/dapk2-gad2 Axis.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to butylparaben induces neurodevelopmental disorders in mice offspring.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Shift in the urinary metabolome associated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin activation of the hepatic aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

Sublethal juvenile dioxin (TCDD) exposure alters sperm motility and whole-body vitellogenin parameters in adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Crosstalk between the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α pathways in human islet models.

Chlorination and Bromination of Anthracene Affects Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activation and Early Life Stage Mortality in Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

PFAS

Perfluorodecanesulfonate (PFDS) induces innate immune toxicity through the NF-κB pathway in early life stage zebrafish.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) toxicity and mitigation of adipogenic dysregulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) antagonizes gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in larval zebrafish and mammalian models.

1α,25(OH)₂D₃ alleviates perfluorooctane sulfonic acid-induced oxidative injury through the Nrf2-ARE pathway via VDR in Sertoli cells.

Predicting the Mechanisms and Targets of PFOA Nephrotoxicity via Network Toxicology, Mendelian Randomization, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Microglia-Mediated Pathological Retinal Angiogenesis Leading to Visual Impairment in Mice Exposed to Perfluorooctanoic Acid.

Flame Retardants

Decabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-209) Induces Learning and Memory Impairment via JAK2/STAT3/NLRP3 axis-Mediated Pyroptosis and Neuroinflammation.

Elucidating the mechanism of triphenyl phosphate interference in bone metabolism via network toxicology and molecular docking methodologies.

Do polybrominated diphenyl ethers cause adverse effects in the freshwater bioindicator zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha Pallas, 1771)? An acute and subchronic biomarker assessment.

Pesticides

Pubertal atrazine exposure promotes adipocyte hypertrophy and hepatic steatosis in adult mice on a high-fat diet.

The role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in Atrazine-induced hepatic lipid accumulation.

Exploring the toxicological mechanisms of atrazine in prostate cancer by network toxicology and molecular docking.

Thyroid disruption and the association with multi-toxicity endpoints in zebrafish embryos exposed to hymexazol.

Subchronic Chlorpyrifos Exposure Induces Thyroid Follicular Cell Pyroptosis to Exacerbate Thyroid Toxicity by Modulating Nrf2/Keap1/NF-κB Pathway in Male Mice.

Chronic Dietary Exposure to Environmental Levels of Glyphosate Increases the Risk of Reproductive Dysfunction in Male Mice.

Metals/Metalloids

Effect of α-ketoglutarate on maternal lipid homeostasis and mitochondrial status perturbed by gestational arsenic exposure.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Differential biochemical responses of Cyprinus carpio after dietary and waterborne exposure to microplastics from polyethylene-based biodegradable and conventional bags.

Interaction of polyethylene nanoplastics with the plasma, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosome and endosome membranes: A molecular dynamics study.

Amplified toxic effects of nanoplastic composite norfloxacin on liver cells in mice: Mechanistic insights and multiscale evaluation.

Gut microbiota-mediated poly(ε-caprolactone) microplastic degradation exacerbates metabolic dysregulation.

Multiomics Reveals Nonphagocytosable Microplastics Induce Colon Inflammatory Injury via Bile Acid-Gut Microbiota Interactions and Barrier Dysfunction.

Fate and enzymatic response of co-exposed photoaged nanoplastic and PFAS: Insights from a human gastrointestinal simulation.

The impact of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis: Focusing on network toxicology and target gene detection.

Gut microbiota and metabolic health risks from chronic low-dose microplastic exposure with focus on Desulfovibrio spp.

Miscellaneous

Biodegradation pathways and products of tire-related phenylenediamines and phenylenediamine quinones in solution – a laboratory study.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) Disrupts Brain Signalling in Embryo-Larval Stage of Zebrafish Leading to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Occurrence and Exposure Assessment of Antibiotics, Parabens and Potentially Toxic Elements in Groundwater Sources from Two Rural Communities in Nigeria.

Identifying differences in U.S. exposure to ubiquitous carcinogens.

Effects of Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals on Reproductive Biology of Aquatic Fauna: Penguins as Sentinel Species.

Phthalates

Targeted Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis of 31 Phthalates and Replacements: Method Optimization and Application to Edible Oils and Silicone Wristbands.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Aggravates High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease through Disturbing Hepatocyte Sphingolipid Metabolism.

PFAS

Perfluoro(2-ethoxy-2-fluoroethoxy)-acetic Acid and Other Target and Suspect PFAS in the Vicinity of a Fluoropolymer Production Plant.

Human exposure to PFASs in a contaminated area: associations between water and serum levels.

Effects of hibernation on the bioaccumulation and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in frogs (Rana tigrina cantor) via skin exposure.

Nontargeted Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Environmental Samples Related to Alpine Skiing Using Ion Mobility Filtering and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Occurrence and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fishes from waterbodies with point and non-point sources in Massachusetts, USA.

Occurrence and Maternal Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pregnant Sharks from Florida Coastal Waters.

Flame Retardants

Human exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs): A comparison between home and school microenvironments and inter-individual variations.

Pesticides

Pesticide exposure in farmland wild passerines: bio-indicators of a widespread contamination despite organic farming.

Occurrence and distribution of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in surface water, drinking water, wastewater and other water types from New York State, USA.

Metals/Metalloids

Toxic Metal Contamination in Parenteral Nutrition and Blood Transfusions in Preterm Neonates: Health Risk Assessment.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

How soon will landfilled plastics integrate into the geological carbon cycle?

Microplastic contamination in the western Arctic water column: A transition from pristine to polluted.

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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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EHN EHN

Gordon Research Conference on environmental endocrine disruptors
by Sarah Howard on January 16, 2026 at 4:02 pm
This year's Gordon Research Conference on endocrine disruptors will be held June 28-July 3, with the accompanying Gordon Research Seminar on June 27-28, in Newry, Maine. These conferences bring together graduate students, post-docs, professors, and researchers who work on endocrine disrupting chemicals, and are an invaluable source of discussion. Apply to attend and submit your abstract by January 20th if you would like to be considered for one of these short talks using this link.
National PFAS Conference
by Sarah Howard on January 15, 2026 at 10:15 pm
The University of Arizona is hosting the National PFAS Conference, in person in Tucson on June 8-10, 2026.
Webinar recording: Effects of chemical mixtures on ovarian function
by Sarah Howard on January 15, 2026 at 7:07 pm
In this Feb. 12 webinar, Dr. Shuo Xiao introduced his lab research that focuses on integrating in vivo, in vitro, and in silico models to study the impacts of real-world mixtures of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on female ovarian function, reproductive outcomes, and the molecular mechanisms involved. Dr. Xiao is the 2025 winner of the Lou Guillette, Jr Outstanding Young Investigator Award from Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), a program of Environmental Health Sciences. Sponsored by the EDC Strategies Partnership and Young EDC Scientists Showcase (YESS).

EHN EHN

Every stage of plastic use — from production to disposal — harms human health
by Environmental Health Sciences Staff on March 6, 2026 at 2:36 pm
In a recent study published by The Lancet Planetary Health, researchers examined the health costs of pollutants released by plastics across their full lifecycle and emphasized the need for international policy that reduces plastic production.
Babies are exposed to more forever chemicals in utero than previously thought
by EHN Curators on March 6, 2026 at 12:10 pm
New research into umbilical cord blood shows a startling number of PFAS.
Study links cell tower and cell phone radiation to changes in blood cells tied to immune health
by Environmental Health Sciences Staff on February 27, 2026 at 2:24 pm
A recent study published in Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine found people living close to cell towers and wireless base station network antennas had higher radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposures, along with measurable changes in certain white blood cells, suggesting a biological stress response and altered immune activity.

EHN EHN

After years of gains, GOP pushes to roll back chemical regulations
by EHN Curators on March 6, 2026 at 12:15 pm
In Texas, environmental activists and experts raise the alarm about the impact on the state's petrochemical industry.
Senate GOP backs speedier chemical reviews; Dems cite health risks
by EHN Curators on March 5, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Proposed changes to the nation’s premier chemical safety law are necessary for American competitiveness, Senate Republicans said in a hearing on Wednesday, as Democrats warned the changes will harm public health.
Former EPA staff detail expanding pollution risks under Trump
by EHN Curators on March 4, 2026 at 6:00 pm
The Trump administration’s relentless rollback of public health and environmental protections has allowed widespread toxic exposures to flourish, warn experts who helped implement safeguards now under assault.