EDC Science Weekly, Mar. 27 – Apr. 2, 2026

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:April 2, 2026
Post category:EDC Science Weekly

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:

Science summaries and highlights

Events

Apr. 2 webinar (today!): Plastics, Chemicals and Infertility: What we know now, with Dr. Shanna Swan re the Plastic Detox film [EDC Strategies Partnership]

Apr. 9 webinar: The Plastic Detox: A Conversation About Plastic & Health [Plastic Pollution Coalition]

Apr. 14 science seminar: Development and real-life application of adverse outcome pathways for endocrine disruption [ECHA]

May 5 hybrid symposium: NAMs and TAMs (New and Traditional Approaches and Methodologies): The Future of Laboratory-Based Environmental Health and Toxicology Research for Harm Reduction [Duke Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program]

May 6: ECHO Symposium: Translating Science to Action (hybrid) [NIH]

May 7 webinar: New science on neonicotinoids: Reproductive and neurodevelopmental health effects [CHE]

May 7 webinar: The Plastic Detox: A Free Educational Webinar on the New Documentary Film [Beyond Plastics]

May 29 conference: HEEDS EDC-North Carolina Annual Scientific Meeting [in person in Raleigh]

Summer 2026: Registration is open for the Skills for Health and Research Professionals (SHARP) Training program [Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health].

June 10: TSCA Reform: 10 years later (hybrid) [Environmental Law Institute]

June 28 – July 3: New and emerging threats, approaches, and mitigation strategies for environmental endocrine disruptors [Gordon Research Conference] and accompanying Gordon Research Seminar June 27 – 28, Harnessing interdisciplinary evidence for endocrine disruption.

July 8-10: U.S. Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) annual meeting (Raleigh NC); Trainee day July 8; Abstracts due April 16.

Oct. 12-16: conference: MICRO 2026: Plastic pollution from macro to nano [in Cadiz, Spain]

Regulations/Policy

Countering health harms from eroded US Environmental Protection Agency.

Toward “Safe” Chemicals and Materials on Mars: Knowledge Gaps for Expanding Planetary Protection Requirements.

More EDC policy, FPF’s regulations open for comment, and Science’s Trump-Tracker.

Methods/Tools/Screening

Bridging Toxicological Silos with Organoids: A Systems Approach to Human-Relevant Risk Assessment.

Quantitative Estimates of Inter-individual Variability for New Approach Methodologies-Based Systemic Safety Toolbox Using a Population-Based Human in Vitro Model.

An ecosystem service impact assessment framework applicable to any chemical pollutant.

Toward In Silico NAMs Analysis of Thyroid Disruption Leading to Developmental Neurotoxicity─A Collection of AOP-Anchored Computational Models.

Zebrafish neuromast development: a target for endocrine disrupting chemicals?

Commentaries

Endocrine Society of India’s National White Paper on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – A Call for Action.

Current Issues Related to Combustion Byproducts & Human Health: A Summary of the 18th International PIC Congress.

Arsenic exposure and cancer risk among migrant populations: bridging gaps in European public health policies and oncological screening.

Biodegradable Nanoplastics: An Overlooked Polluting Terra Incognita Towards Global Plastic Risk Assessment?

Targeting Biocide Overuse in Consumer Products Will Strengthen Global AMR Action

Perspective on applicability of data-driven machine learning computational new approach methodologies for hazard identification in chemicals risk assessment.

ESTIV 2024: The application of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in drug discovery and drug and chemical safety assessment.

Accelerating New Approach Methodologies (NAMs): The iPSC Revolution in Toxicology and Biomedical Science.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

An Epidemiologic Review of Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals and Understudied Gynecologic Health Conditions Affecting Quality of Life.

Environmental Threats to Kidney Health: A Clinician’s Guide to Modern Exposures.

Mitochondrial perspectives on environmental pollutant-induced male reproductive toxicity.

Plastic-Derived Pollutants as Emerging Modifiers of Viral Diseases.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systems Toxicology Perspective on Mechanistic Pathways.

Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease in children and adolescents: a scoping review and narrative synthesis of epidemiology, risk factors, and screening approaches with emerging implications for sub-Saharan Africa.

Bisphenols

Simultaneous Determination of Bisphenol A and Its Analogues in Food Matrixes: Cumulative Exposure Assessment Following New Regulatory Restrictions-A Systematic Review.

Phthalates

Preterm birth attributable to exposure to chemicals used in plastic materials: a global estimate

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Persistent organic pollutants and prostate cancer: multiple mechanisms and comprehensive control strategies.

PFAS

Epidemiological perspectives on PFAS: Environmental fate, health risks, and global mitigation strategies.

Impact of PFAS exposure on lipid metabolic pathways: mechanisms and implicatins in carcinogenesis.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment and Human Tissue: A Critical Review of Distribution, Exposure Pathways, and Health Risks.

Forever Chemicals, Finite Defenses: PFAS Burden the Liver, Break Mitochondria, and Outpace Modern Regulation.

Non-serum PFAS biomarkers and human reproductive/perinatal outcomes: A systematic review.

Distribution and Concentration of Airborne Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Indoor and Outdoor Environments: A Systematic Review.

Pesticides

Human exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides: Safe or not?

Review of the effect of atrazine on the HPG axes and steroidogenic pathways in males: relevance for testicular and prostate cancer.

Biopesticides and Human Health Risks: A Critical Review.

Metals/Metalloids

Lead-Attributable Cardiovascular Disease Burden: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Antimony: a cryptic metabolism disruptor ubiquitous in food contact materials.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

New Insights into the Relationship Between Microplastics and Diabetes from the Perspective of the Gut-Liver Axis and Macrophage Regulation.

Effects of micro and nano plastics on renal health.

Microplastics as a Modifier of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Toxicity: A Review on Context-Dependent Effects Across Organisms.

Harmful Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Human Body Systems: A Systematic Review.

Advancing Microplastic and Nanoplastic Toxicity Assessment: Insights from Human Organoid Models.

Plastamination, Human Health, and Countries’ Cultural Orientation: An Exploratory Study on Prevention Strategies and Organizational Policies and Practices.

Small particles, large questions: unravelling the toxicity and potential health risks of PET micro-/nanoplastics.

Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Human Intestine: a Review of Health Implications and Possible Dietary Interventions.

Microplastic exposure and human health risks across the life cycle: a focus on reproduction, development, and aging.

Effects of micro- and nano-plastics exposure on cellular senescence: an overview.

Microplastics as Trojan Horses: Vectors of Pathogens, Pollutants, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes.

Air Pollution

Air pollution and adverse birth outcomes: A systematic review of fine critical windows.

Miscellaneous

Tire Wear Particles’ Environmental Distribution and Potential Threats to Human Health.

Unpacking developmental programming: a conceptual and historical analysis in the context of DOHaD.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Associations of endocrine disrupting chemicals with anogenital distance across infancy.

Impact of antenatal exposure to a mixture of endocrine disruptors on attentional and executive functions in children.

Associations between Repeated Measures of Exposure to Phthalates, Phenols, Parabens, and their Mixtures and Metabolic Syndrome in Midlife Women in Mexico City.

Breast Adipose Tissue’s Xenobiotics and Fatty Acid Profile-A Preliminary Study in Portuguese Women with Breast Cancer.

Joint effects of prenatal endocrine disrupting chemicals and heavy metal mixture on birth size and maternal complication in the Korea Children’s Environmental Health Cohort Study.

Bisphenols

Exposure to bisphenol analogues and advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer survival: An integrative study combining epidemiology and mechanism exploration.

Bisphenol A exposure impairs cardiometabolic health: Integrative human evidence and zebrafish heart multi-omics analysis.

Phthalates

The association of gestational phthalate exposure with social skills and problem behaviors in adolescents.

Multi-omics analysis investigates the mechanisms of plasticizer-induced male reproductive infertility in Northwest China.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Maternal paraben exposure during early pregnancy is associated with altered cord blood DNA methylation: The PREDO cohort.

Associations of Exposure to Parabens During Pregnancy with Behavior in Early Childhood.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Sex-Specific Biological Aging-Related Lipidomic Profiles Mediate the Impact of Urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposures on Cognitive Function in Healthy Older Adults.

PFAS

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure Associated with Later Puberty in Norwegian Girls: Data from the Bergen Growth Study 2.

Association of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure with cognitive function in firefighters.

SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike IgG Subclass Titres in a Population with Prior Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA).

Follicular Fluid Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), Metabolomics and Live Birth Following IVF: A Pilot Study.

The association between PFAS exposure, menstrual cycle parameters, and reproductive hormones in adolescent girls.

Sensitive windows of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure and children’s intelligence quotient.

Flame Retardants

Prenatal and early life exposure to organophosphate esters and intellectual quotient at age 3, in the SEPAGES cohort.

Metals/Metalloids

Toxic metals impact gut microbiota and metabolic risk in five African-origin populations.

Arsenic exposure at birth, socioeconomic status, and epigenetic aging among adults in northern Chile.

Associations between maternal blood lead concentration during pregnancy and trajectories of wheezing and asthma in offspring: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS).

Air Pollution

Wildfire smoke-related PM_2.5 concentration measurements, perceived indoor air quality, and health symptoms among Southern California residents during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires: A latent class mediation approach.

From air to adipose: Investigating PM_2.5-bound chlorinated paraffins and overweight/obesity in Chinese children and adolescents.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Occupational Exposure to Resorcinol and Thyroid-Disrupting Effects: Protocol for an Exploratory Field Study in French Hairdressers.

Laboratory Studies

Bisphenols

Bisphenol a exposure and major depressive disorder: an integrative analysis combining network toxicology, molecular docking, genetic epidemiology, and transcriptomic validation.

Bisphenol A Promotes Ovarian Cancer Proliferation and Migration through the HK2/H3K18la/IGF2BP3 Sequential Regulatory Axis.

Comparative study on the acute and developmental toxicity of bisphenol S and F in medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Structural Insights into the Interaction of Bisphenol F (BPF) and Bisphenol S (BPS) with Estrogen Receptors for Endocrine Safety Assessment.

Bisphenol F Drives Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Macrophage Polarization, Leading to Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mouse Kidneys.

Bisphenol S-induced cardiac remodeling is associated with an imbalance in the renin-angiotensin system.

Unraveling the toxicological impact of Bisphenol A exposure on dermatomyositis: An integration of network toxicology and machine learning approaches.

Machine learning-driven QSAR models for the prediction of metabolic mechanisms and thyroid hormone-disrupting effects of emerging pollutants in the human body: a case study of bisphenol analogues.

Exposure to Bisphenol A and Z causes DNA damage and testicular histopathology impairing male fertility.

Bisphenol A impairs contractile function and vascular development in human cardiac organoids: Insights from toxicity assessment and risk evaluation.

Bisphenol-A from environment macro-circulation to human micro-circulation: a novel link to abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Vitamin C Alleviates BPA Embryotoxicity by Attenuating Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage-Mediated Apoptosis via Modulation of the ATM/Chk2/p53 Pathway.

Phthalates

Parental DEHP exposure induces sex-specific reproductive toxicity in zebrafish and behavioral deficits in unexposed offspring.

Dibutyl phthalate exposure-induced AhR activation drives ferroptosis and HMGB1/TLR4-mediated inflammatory liver injury via NRF2-HO-1 signaling.

Environmental pollutants and autism spectrum disorder: Effects of plasticizers on core phenotypes and molecular targets.

The role of Lactobacillus in dibutyl phthalate-induced gut and liver injury: Probiotic intervention and multi-omics evidence.

Transgenerational neurotoxicity of plasticizers diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) inCaenorhabditis elegans.

PFAS

Neurodegeneration, Oxidative Stress, NGF/TrkA/P75^NTR, and PGE2 Dysregulation Induced by PFOS Single and Repeated Treatment: Partial Protection by T3 and Other Therapeutic Approaches.

Developmental Toxicity of Chlorinated Polyfluorinated Ether Sulfonate (F-53B), a Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) Alternative, in Embryos and Larvae of Blotched Snakehead (Channa maculata).

Embryonic exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of PFAS cause larval fish to be more susceptible to predation.

Comparative analysis of four PFAS regarding their toxicity to zebrafish development.

Chronic exposure to F-53B disrupts sperm quality and steroidogenic regulation in male rats.

PFOS-mediated suppression of SOX30 impairs DNA double-strand break repair leading to male reproductive dysfunction.

A comparative study of acute and chronic toxicological effects of HFPO-DA and HFPO-TA on Daphnia magna: Insights into survival, growth, reproduction and antioxidant defense.

Hepatic transcriptomic responses in gravid and non-gravid rats exposed to HFPO-DA: Analyses to inform the role of maternal effects in neonatal toxicity.

Activation of thyroid hormone receptors α and β by perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid revealed by in vitro and in silico methods.

New Mechanistic Evidence for Perfluorodecanoic Acid (PFDA) Teratogenicity via CYP26A1-Mediated Retinoic Acid Metabolism and Signaling.

Development of a QSAR model for predicting PPARα activation by PFAS based on human in vitro data of a comprehensive panel of legacy and novel PFAS.

Flame Retardants

Concentration-Specific Neurotoxic Pathways of Tetrabromobisphenol A and Tetrabromobisphenol A Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl Ether) in Zebrafish Larvae.

Toxicological impact of tetrabromobisphenol-A on pregnant rats: Morphological, biochemical, and histopathological investigations.

Chronic TBPH Exposure Drives the Transition from Steatosis to Hepatic Fibrosis via Lipid Droplet Dysregulation in Zebrafish.

Triphenyl phosphate exposure at physiologically/environmentally relevant concentrations promotes malignant progression of breast cancer: Insights from metabolomics and lipidomics.

Pesticides

Effects of Fipronil Exposure on Glucose Metabolism Disorder via the Gut Microbiota and Inflammation.

Neurotoxic effects of 2,4-DCP in adult zebrafish: A behavioral, biochemical, and genetic approach.

Glyphosate (Roundup) Impairs Embryonic Development and Thermal Adaptation in Lizard (Eremias argus) under Warming.

Metals/Metalloids

Low-dose arsenic exposure disrupts rat uterine physiology independent of generation of oxidative stress.

A novel adverse outcome pathway in aluminum-induced male infertility: Oxidative stress-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and endocannabinoid system activation delineated by network toxicology and metabolomics.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Sex Hormone Disruption Induced by Biodegradable Plastic Extracts Compared with Conventional Plastics in H295R Cells and Adult Male Zebrafish.

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid can exacerbate lipid metabolism disorders and liver damage in adult zebrafish.

Co-Exposure to PS-NPs and HFPO-TA Potentiates Reproductive Toxicity via Ferroptosis and SLC1A5-Mediated Glutamine Deprivation in Male Mice.

Polystyrene Nanoplastics at an Environmentally Relevant Concentration Promote Ovarian Cancer Progression via CDK4/6-Dependent Signaling.

Evaluation of intestinal toxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics using intestinal organoids.

Mapping the impact of prolonged microplastics exposure on enteric viral infections using human intestinal organoids.

Assessment of female fertility and oocyte quality in mice after exposure to polystyrene microplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, alone and in combination.

Network toxicology and machine learning revealed the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease induced by polystyrene nanoplastics.

Colonic Barrier Dysfunction and Inflammation Induced by Nano-/Micro-Plastics Fibers in Mice via the FAK/NF-κB/iNOS and TLR4/NF-κB/iNOS Pathways.

Synergistic Effect of Glyphosate and Polyethylene Microplastics on Culturable Gut Microbiota Alterations in Zebrafish.

Air Pollution

Chronic, Environmentally Relevant PM_2.5 Exposure Exacerbates Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Early-Stage Renal Dysfunction in a Rodent Model.

Maternal PM_2.5 exposure induces insulin resistance in adult male mouse offspring via gut-liver axis.

Miscellaneous

A Study on the Mechanism of Acetyl Tributyl Citrate-Induced Infertility Toxicity and the Protective Action of Icariin Based on Network Toxicology, Network Pharmacology, Molecular-Docking Technology and Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Exploring the Toxicological Effects of Acetyl Tributyl Citrate Exposure on Osteoarthritis Based on Machine Learning, Network Toxicology and Molecular Docking Analysis.

Comparative toxicity of 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone on the gut-liver axis in zebrafish: Insights into microbiota dysbiosis and oxidative stress.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Plasticizers and Bisphenols in Blood from Sicilian Women: Associations with Food-Contact Behaviors in a Human Biomonitoring Study.

Solvent and Phthalate Impurities of Health Concern in Tobacco-Derived and Synthetic Nicotine.

Bisphenols

Bisphenol-A Release from Modern Resin-Based Dental Composites: A Time-Dependent In Vitro Assessment.

Phthalates

Phthalate Esters in Different Beverages From Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria: Concentrations and Health Risk Assessment.

PFAS

Half a Century of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Northern Gannet Eggs: Impact of Regulations.

PFAS in Peri-Urban Agricultural Water: Assessing the Hazard Index in an Organic Farming Environment in Maryland, USA.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Michigan: A Novel High-Throughput Method with Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Analysis of 42 PFAS Compounds in Human and Bovine Serum.

Efficacy and Threat Language in PFAS Messaging.

Pesticides

Pesticide exposure profiles through tap water consumption in the NutriNet-Santé cohort in 2022: a cross-sectional analysis using the French SISE-Eaux monitoring database.

Pesticide Exposure Characterization Among Adult Males in a Chilean Agricultural Community Using Paired Silicone Wristbands and Urine Samples.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Microplastics in Human Semen: Physicochemical Characterisation and Surface-Associated Elemental Profiles among Malaysian Men.

Miscellaneous

School-based exposures to oil and gas development for public school children in the United States.

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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.

If you enjoy this newsletter, please feel free to donate here! Thank you!

EHN EHN

HEEDS EDC-North Carolina meeting
by Sarah Howard on March 24, 2026 at 12:51 pm
EDC-North Carolina's fifth annual meeting will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026. It will be held at NIEHS in the Rodbell Auditorium, and attendance is free and open to everyone. There will be awards for best posters; posters from other meetings are accepted. More information here. Sponsored by Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS).
Webinar: New science on neonicotinoids: reproductive & neurodevelopmental health effects
by Sarah Howard on March 15, 2026 at 6:47 pm
This May 7 webinar is sponsored by the Collaborative for Health and Environment, and features Dr. Jenn Sass of NRDC and Dr. Jodi Flaws of the University of Illinois.
Jerry's on TikTok
by Sarah Howard on January 17, 2026 at 3:41 pm
Dr. Jerry Heindel, HEEDS founder, is now on TikTok! The videos are also available as shorts on the HEEDS YouTube channel.

EHN EHN

Interview: Christopher Borgert on an infamous glyphosate paper
by EHN Curators on April 21, 2026 at 12:30 pm
This pharmacologist gathered more than 60 researchers to push back on the retraction of a Monsanto-linked research paper.
Declining PFAS levels in seabird eggs reflect impact of regulatory action
by Environmental Health Sciences Staff on April 16, 2026 at 8:20 pm
In a recent study published by the Journal of Applied Toxicology, researchers examined the levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in the eggs of northern gannets — a species of seabird — over a 55-year period in Canada.
RFK Jr. links fluoride to lower IQ. New data tells a different story
by EHN Curators on April 16, 2026 at 12:28 am
A new study found people who drink fluoridated water long-term are just as smart as those who don't, contrary to RFK Jr.'s comments.

EHN EHN

Use of toxic PFAS in consumer goods must be urgently restricted, MPs say
by EHN Curators on April 23, 2026 at 12:10 pm
Commons committee heard from residents of Yorkshire town with the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in the UK.
EPA adds more pesticide industry reps to the Science Advisory Board
by EHN Curators on April 22, 2026 at 12:35 pm
While most appointees are academic scientists, U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin also named employees of a company that makes forever chemicals.
Advocates criticize proposed NC PFAS strategy for lack of enforcement power
by EHN Curators on April 22, 2026 at 10:48 am
Critics say North Carolina's PFAS plan lacks strict limits and polluter accountability, leaving communities with ongoing contamination risks.