EDC Science Weekly, Nov. 14-20, 2025

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:November 20, 2025
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:

First identification of microplastics in umbilical cord blood and their direct target proteins
Prenatal exposure to microplastics and biomarkers of renal dysfunction in umbilical cord blood
Microplastics and nanoplastics in human central nervous system and blood-brain barrier transmission
Prenatal exposure to the pesticides associated with circulating levels of reproductive hormones in healthy infant girls
Lowering arsenic exposure reduces chronic disease mortality.

Science summaries and highlights

Events

Nov. 20 webinar (Today! Noon ET): EDCs & Female Reproductive Health: A growing health concern [EDC Strategies Partnership]

Dec. 1: Due date for Reach the Decisionmakers 2026 [UCSF]

Dec. 4: ICEDA Scientific Symposium (in Montreal and on zoom) Intersectoral Centre for Endocrine Disruptor Analysis (ICEDA)

Dec. 10 webinar: CHE Café: Why Parkinson’s disease is preventable [CHE]

Dec. 11 webinar: Corporate Influence on science in a shifting political landscape [PRHE, UCS, CHE]

Jan. 11-14: Microplastics exposure and human health conference [in person in Santa Fe; late-breaking abstracts due Dec. 1]

Jan. 15: application due date for May 26- June 9 course, Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Hazards and Opportunities (ECHO) [Marine Biological Laboratory]

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 27-8, Harnessing interdisciplinary evidence for endocrine disruption.

Regulations/Policy

Migration of Bisphenol A and Its Derivatives From Epoxy Coatings and Demand for BPA-NI Products: Scientific Insights and Perspectives Leading to Regulation (EU) 2024/3190.

Regulatory experience with the comparative in vitro metabolism study based on an analysis of 70 studies with pesticide active ingredients – a reality check.

A comparative toxicological and epidemiological evaluation of dioxins and PFAS chemicals.

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

Methods/Tools/Screening

DART Predictor: A Multi-Label Attention Model for High-Throughput Screening of Chemicals with Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (DART).

BMDx2: A Tool for Integrating Toxicogenomics-Based Dose-Dependency Analysis and AOP-Based Mechanistic Insights.

FDA/CDER/OND Experience With New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).

McGPCR: A Multimodal Learning Model with Improved Applicability Domain Characterization for Predicting G Protein-Coupled Receptor Affinity of Plastic Chemicals.

Commentaries

How energy and chemistry converge for a fossil-free future.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Causes of Childhood Cancer: A Literature Review (2014-2021)-Part 3: Environmental and Occupational Factors.

Association between exposure to selected endocrine-disrupting chemicals and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and childhood atopic dermatitis: epidemiological evidence.

The fetal exposome and Preterm Birth: a systematic synthesis of environmental exposures and multi-omics evidence.

Environmental toxins in neurodegeneration – a narrative review.

PFAS

Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Its Role in the Development and Progression of Prostate, Ovarian and Breast Cancers.

Flame Retardants

Cardiovascular Health Risks of Organophosphate Flame Retardant Exposure: A Narrative Review of the Available Evidence.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Microplastic exposure and female reproductive health: A scientific review.

Microplastics and cancer.

Do microplastics play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases? Shared pathophysiological pathways for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Microplastics in Airborne Particulate Matter: A Comprehensive Review of Separation Techniques, In Vitro Toxicity and Health Impacts

Impact of micro- and nanoplastics exposure on human health: focus on neurological effects from ingestion.

How much should we care about insect-plastic interactions?

Understanding the ecological impacts of biodegradable microplastics.

Miscellaneous

Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health [Series in The Lancet]

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Machine learning-driven prediction models and mechanistic insights into cardiovascular diseases: deciphering the environmental endocrine disruptors nexus

Exposure to a mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals and thyroid function tests in pregnant women in the SELMA study.

Prenatal and childhood exposure to mixtures of environmental chemicals and adolescence attentional problems: a triangulation study.

Bisphenols

Quantifying the metabolic health burden of increased BPA/BPF/BPS endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure: A temporal and cross-country comparative analysis from 2000 to 2024.

Associations of Urinary Environmental phenols with Obesity and Lipid Metabolism in Children and Adolescents: The Expanded Chinese National Human Biomonitoring (CNHBM) Project.

A Comparative Study to Evaluate the Association of Bisphenol-A in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus as Compared to Pregnant Women with Normal Glucose Tolerance.

PFAS

Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in adolescents and young adults: modifying roles of age, lifestyle factors, and PNPLA3 genotype.

Perfluorinated chemicals and adolescent respiratory health: Epidemiological evidence and mechanistic insights.

Flame Retardants

Prenatal organophosphate ester exposure and epigenetic changes at birth: a characterization of the methylome in the ECHO cohort.

Pesticides

Prenatal exposure to the pesticides chlorpyrifos and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is associated with circulating levels of reproductive hormones in healthy infant girls.

Postnatal Pesticide Exposure and Executive Function in Children and Adolescents: Findings from South Africa.

Associations between concurrent neonicotinoid, pyrethroid, and organophosphate insecticide metabolites and neurocognitive performance in Ecuadorian adolescents.

Metals/Metalloids

Arsenic Exposure Reduction and Chronic Disease Mortality.

Association of Urine Heavy Metals with Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes and Poor Glycaemic Control.

Urine arsenic and risk of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure – A prospective case-cohort study in Danish never smokers.

Geographical variations in metal exposure and metabolic disorders in Chile using an exposome approach.

Associations between prenatal metal mixtures and allergic symptoms in childhood.

Hematological effects of chronic heavy metal exposure in children from marginalized occupational communities in Mexico.

Exposure to heavy metals and neuropsychological performance in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Exploring the association between metal(loid)s and human semen quality: a preliminary case study in a petrochemical complex.

The AST/ALT ratio as a mediator of heavy metal exposure and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) risk: A NHANES study.

Health profile and metal exposure over three years in a child cohort study, Bruminha Project.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

First identification of microplastics in umbilical cord blood and their direct target proteins: A pioneering discovery.

Prenatal exposure to microplastics and biomarkers of renal dysfunction in umbilical cord blood: Evidence from a birth cohort in China.

Air Pollution

The global burden, trends and cross-region inequities of non-communicable diseases attributed to ambient particulate matter pollution.

Air pollution, temperature, and HbA1c levels among children in Mexico City, Mexico.

The mediation effect of sleep quality on the association between ambient air pollution and type 2 diabetes among UK adults: a population-based cohort study.

Evaluating urinary metabolic profiles with wildland-urban-interface (wui) fire exposure among male firefighters: a comparison with municipal structure fires (msf).

Does personalization in exposure assessment change ambient air pollution exposure-response relationships? A panel study.

Laboratory Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Unraveling the Carcinogenic Mechanisms of Food Contaminants: An Integrated in Silico Framework Combining Network Toxicology, Machine Learning, and Molecular Docking.

Unveiling the potential targets and mechanisms of DEHP/BPA exposure on PCOS: insights from network toxicology and molecular docking.

Bisphenols

Unraveling the Obesogenic Mechanism of Bisphenol A Through Network Toxicology and Molecular Docking: Identification of Key Molecular Targets

Tremella polysaccharide alleviated the toxicity of bisphenol A on Caenorhabditis elegans via regulation of IIS/MAPK/skn-1 pathways and increasing antioxidant ability.

The Effect of Oral Administration of Bisphenol A and AF on Their Deposition in the Body Organs of Growing Pigs and the Relationship to Growth Rate.

Bisphenol S disrupts human sertoli cell function through NR1H3 degradation: Mechanistic insights from integrated bulk and single-cell transcriptomics.

BPP disrupts spermatogenesis via mitochondrial-ER stress-mediated autophagic flux blockade in mice.

MiRNAs profile of extracellular vesicles from differentiated endothelial cells treated with chemical environmental pollutant BPA.

Analysis of bisphenol A-modulated expression of hypothalamic thyroid, estrogen, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and concurrent mitochondrial dynamics following short-term exposure in mice.

Prenatal BPA exposure disrupts androgen synthesis in testicular Leydig cells via epigenetic modifications of steroidogenic factor 1.

Mechanisms of Bisphenol A exposure on oral squamous cell carcinoma: a multidimensional network analysis.

Phthalates

Shared and divergent neurotoxic mechanisms of bisphenol A and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate with implication for Alzheimer’s disease: Insights from network toxicology and in vitro validation.

Exploring the Toxicological Impact of Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure on Alzheimer’s Disease via Network Toxicology and Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis.

Folic acid alleviates fetal growth restriction induced by gestational Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure in mice through activating the STAT3/HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling pathway.

Glabridin attenuates dibutyl phthalate-induced testicular toxicity via regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Network toxicology and machine learning reveal key molecular targets and pathways of mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate-induced atherosclerosis.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Mechanistic decoding of triclosan-induced endometriosis via network toxicology, Mendelian randomization, and molecular docking.

Chronic Triclosan Exposure Promotes Metabolic Dysregulation and Colitis in Mice: A Dose-Dependent Relationship.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Anti-angiogenic effects of p,p’-Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p’-DDE) in the human microvasculature.

Exposure to a persistent organic pollutant mixture resulted in sex-specific steatotic liver disease: Role of the liver-endocrine axis.

Mechanistic investigation of DDT/DDE in MASLD/MASH pathogenesis: An integrated network toxicology and transcriptomics approach.

Sex-dependent modulation of PCB-mediated toxicity from a proteomic and microbiome perspective.

Environmentally relevant concentrations of short chain chlorinated paraffins induce transgenerational reproductive toxicity associated with mitochondrial homeostasis disruption in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PFAS

Comparative assessment of female reproductive toxicity from PFOA and its alternative GenX in mice and human granulosa cells.

The Role of Lipid Metabolism and Peroxisome Proliferator Activation in Mediating Pro-Cancer Phenotypes of Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Testicular Cancer.

Exposure to a GenX Homologue Results in Sexually Dimorphic Bile Acid Metabolism Disorders Mediated by Hepatic PPARα in Mice.

F-53B triggers ovarian granulosa cell senescence and ovarian dysfunction by triggering mitochondrial dysfunction.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Induce Cardiotoxicity and Alter Protein Profiles of Extracellular Matrix, Metabolism, and Mitochondrial Function in Human Cardiomyocytes.

Multi-dimensional insights into the association between PFOA exposure and NAFLD: An integrative analysis of epidemiology, transcriptomics, and molecular docking.

Pesticides

Atrazine-induced carcinogenesis in colorectal cancer: Core gene identification, immune cell infiltration, and cellular validation experiments.

Temperature increased atrazine-induced brain damage in Pelophylax nigromaculatus tadpoles based on the Wnt signaling pathway and spatial metabolomics.

Coenzyme Q10 protects against glyphosate-based herbicide-induced testicular and sperm toxicity by modulating Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 and TLR4/NF-κB pathways.

Transgenerational Toxicity of Tralomethrin in Zebrafish: Parental Exposure Induces Developmental Defects in Offspring.

Metals/Metalloids

PPARα Activation-Mediated Testosterone Reduction as the Key Adverse Outcome Pathway for Cd-Induced Male Infertility: A Novel Integrated Approach.

Identifying biomarkers for arsenic exposure-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An integrated proteomics, metabolomics, and machine learning approach.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Ones That Get Away: Investigating the Lea ching of Persistent, Mobile, and Toxic Plastic Additives from New and Environmentally Sampled Plastic Items.

Synergistic transgenerational reproductive toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and butylparaben at NOAEL levels via SET-2-mediated H3K4me3 modification in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Polystyrene nanoplastics-induced altered glycolipid metabolism in the liver: A comparative study between pregnant and non-pregnant mice.

Developmental toxicity of co-exposure of heavy metal and polystyrene microplastics in Xenopus laevis embryo.

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Exposure Alters Gut Microbiota and Correlates with Egg Quality Parameters in Chickens.

Melatonin Alleviates the Damage of Polystyrene Microplastics to Porcine Oocytes by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage, and Regulating Autophagy and Apoptosis Levels.

Toxicity comparison of multiple biodegradable and conventional microplastics on earthworms: Ingestion, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and transcriptional responses.

Oral Ingestion of Polystyrene Microplastics Aggravates Chronic Pancreatitis Through ROS Induced NF-κb/TGF-β Signaling Pathway and Alteration of Gut Microbiota.

Biodistribution and toxicity analysis of polystyrene nanoplastics in mice based on Raman detection.

Combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and bisphenol A results in mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis via the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in mice kidneys.

Air Pollution

Acute Particulate Matter (PM₁₀) Exposure Selectively Triggers Behavioral Alterations in the Presymptomatic Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Application of the C-BED tool in the analysis of the effect of norfluoxetine as an EDC on the marine mussel Mytilus trossulus.

Miscellaneous

Comparative study on the reproduction toxicity of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N’-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) to Daphnia magna based on a 21-day short-term exposure and whole-life-stage exposure and the underlying toxic mechanisms.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Awareness of endocrine-disrupting chemicals among medical students and physicians: a cross-sectional study.

Bisphenols/Phthalates

Assessing bisphenols migration from children’s products on the Swiss market: simulated oral exposure and risk implications.

Assessment of cat exposure to phthalates through phthalate metabolites analysis in the hair samples.

Phthalates, Bisphenol A, and Microbiological Investigations in Deep-Sea Shrimp Aristaeomorpha foliacea from Mediterranean Sea: Signs of Marine Anthropological Pollution.

PFAS/POPs

Identification and quantification of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in myopia control soft contact lenses.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances contamination in dairy: A global perspective.

Global ecological and health risks of PFAS in surface soil.

Seabirds as sentinels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure- a global analysis after year 2010.

Distribution and bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in marine intertidal invertebrates – A multi-bioindicator study from Cape Town, South Africa.

Evaluation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and organochlorine pesticides in great tit eggs from areas with different anthropogenic pressures in Padova, Italy.

Asymmetrical contamination of anionic PFAS across global freshwater reservoirs.

Nationwide Estimate of Volatile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Emissions from U.S. Landfills via Landfill Gas.

Differential Bioaccumulation of Legacy and Novel Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Plants and Soil Biota: Implications for Human Exposure and Risk Mitigation.

Environmental Occurrence, Source Identification, and Health Hazards of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS in the Yangtze River Delta.

No place to hide: Marine habitat does not determine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in odontocetes.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fish collected from the Rio Grande and reservoirs in northern New Mexico.

Pesticides/Metals

Exposure to the herbicide 2,4-D exacerbates infection outcome of a global amphibian pathogen.

Physicochemical parameters, levels of 2,4-D, estrogen hormones, and metals in Santo Antônio River (Brazil-Argentina): ecotoxicity and effect on water quality of the Iguaçu National Park.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics and nanoplastics in healthy human central nervous system and its blood-brain barrier transmission efficiency-A pilot study.

Presence of microplastics in human’s respiratory system: bronchoalveolar and bronchial lavage fluid.

Factors affecting micro(nano)plastic release during intravenous therapy: Direct blood exposure.

Emerging contaminants in rural water: microplastic pollution and its association with agricultural, livestock, and industrial activities in Ecuador.

Air Pollution

Assessment of chemical extracts of urban air for endocrine disruption using a series of in vitro bioassays: a case study in Montreal, Canada.

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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.