EDC Science Weekly, Oct. 10-16, 2025

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:October 16, 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:

Plastic tableware use, microplastic accumulation, and sperm quality: from epidemiological evidence to mechanistic insights.
Unveiling Chemical-Microbial Cascade Risk Factors from Plastic Pipe Leaching in Drinking Water.
Release of Nanoplastics from Polypropylene Food Containers into Hot and Cold Water.

Science summaries and highlights

Events

Oct. 22, Nov. 3, Nov. 10 webinar series: From Cells to Solutions: Emerging Tools for Studying Health and Disease [NIEHS Superfund Research Program]

Oct. 23 webinar: Science and Democracy Under Siege [PRHE’s Science Action Network]

Oct. 23 webinar: Defend Our Health: Authors & Friends featuring a discussion of plastics.

Oct. 28 webinar: Ancestral Voices: Breast Cancer, Toxic Chemicals & Alaska Native Language Revitalization [CHE Alaska]

Oct. 29 webinar: Understanding the Link Between Firefighting and Cancer: Opportunities for Prevention and Awareness [Cancer and Environment Network of Southwestern Pennsylvania]

Oct. 31 webinar: Informing and advising on the state of the art, gaps, and future needs in micro- and nanoplastic and health research in Europe [CUSP]

Nov. 12 webinar: Toxic chemicals in plastics [Beyond Plastics]

Nov. 13 webinar: Protecting Our Health: Toxic Threats, Trusted Solutions [Toxic-Free Future]

Nov. 17 webinar: Plastic Pollution and Human Health: What We Know and What We Can Do [UCSF]

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

Jan. 11-14: International Conference on Microplastics [in person in Santa Fe; late-breaking abstracts due Dec. 1]

Regulations/Policy

The global plastics treaty: much needed, but still not there.

The world’s first plastics treaty is in crisis: can it be salvaged?

Impacts of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act Arsenic Rule on Arsenic Occurrence

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

New approach methodologies (NAMs): The strategic vision in science.

International conference and workshop on “New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Pharmacology and Toxicology”.

The need for epigenotoxicity testing.

Integrated Assessment of Bisphenols, Phthalates, and Biocides for Estrogenic and Androgenic Endocrine-disrupting Properties.

Fish models of obesity, test guidelines, and regulatory challenges of identifying non-EATS endocrine disruptors.

Why you should triple-check fluoride data in PFAS destruction and environmental fluorine balance.

Commentaries

Microplastics and Human Health.

Beyond boundaries: the combined threats of air pollution and rising surface temperatures.

Scaling laboratory results with machine learning is no silver bullet to strengthen global (micro)plastic mitigation policy and Reply to Brandes et al.: A first step, not a final word, on modeling microplastics-induced crop losses.

Fish count, too – The animal toll of REACH aquatic toxicity tests.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Environmental Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, Pancreatic β-Cells, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The impact of chemical pollution and warming on male fertility: a narrative review by the Special Interest Group “Environment and Fertility” of the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility and Reproductive Medicine (SIFES-MR).

Effects of endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs) and therapeutic approaches to the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): a current state-of-the-art.

Epigenetics and Environmental Exposures in Early Neurodevelopment: Implications for Pediatric Neurological Disorders.

Hormonal regulation of parental care in insects: a call for exploring vulnerabilities to anthropogenic pollutants.

A multi-dimensional view on the etiology of Parkinson’s disease.

PFAS

Physiological and ecological interactions between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and microalgae in aquatic environments: A review.

Metals/Metalloids

The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

The detrimental effects of microplastic exposure on kidney function.

Micro- and nanoplastic-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and organelle miscommunication: A toxicological perspective.

Microplastics in the Pathogenesis of Periodontal Diseases: A Narrative Review.

Air Pollution

Invisible hazards of ultrafine particles (UFPs) from Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fire smoke as emerging public health risks: A critical review of transformation dynamics from emission sources, exposure pathways, and vulnerable population to WUI fire toxicants.

From exposure to outcomes: How Air Pollutants Impact Maternal and Foetal Health.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Chemical pollutant mixtures associated with metabolic health: Results from the European Health Examination Survey in Luxembourg.

Association of individual and combined exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and phthalate (PAE) metabolites with maternal estradiol levels in early pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

Breast cancer immunophenotypes are associated with exposure to mixtures of organochlorine pesticides and trace elements among Northern Mexican women.

Plasma exposure levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and metals/metalloids among reproductive-age men in Jinhua, China: Influencing factors and links to semen quality.

The effect of phytoestrogens and PAHs on endometriosis and the involvement of gut microbiota, inflammation, and molecular targets.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure in hexavalent chromium exposed workers and the effects of exposure mixtures on oxidative stress and genomic instability.

Neurobehavioral performance of dual exposure to organophosphate pesticides and PAHs among farmers in rural agriculture communities.

BPA/Phthalates

The role of cord blood lipidomics in the associations of prenatal exposure to bisphenol A and its analogs with infant growth: A birth cohort study.

Association between Urinary Phthalate and Bisphenol Exposures and Obesity Based on Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference.

Dibutyl phthalate induces atopic dermatitis via semaphorin-plexin signaling and IL-5: ECHO-COCOA study.

Serum phthalates and risks of incident cardiovascular disease among individuals with type 2 diabetes in a prospective cohort study.

Impact of plastic-related chemicals on emotional and behavioral health in children from Poland.

Phthalate exposure is associated with increased CVD risk in CKD: evidence from NHANES and network toxicology analysis.

PFAS

Prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances predicts multimodal brain structural and functional outcomes in children aged 5 years: a birth cohort study.

The Mediation Role of the Placental IGF1 Signaling Pathway on Associations between Prenatal PFAS Exposure and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Evidence from Serial Mediation Models.

Human liver perfluorooctane sulfonate associates with steatotic liver disease in a sex-dependent manner.

Forever Chemicals: An Exploratory, Population-Based Analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure and Effects on Sinonasal Health.

Flame Retardants

Polybrominated diphenyl ether profiles in adipose tissues of breast cancer patients and their carcinogenic potential investigation based on network toxicology and molecular docking.

Association of organophosphate flame retardant metabolite concentrations in follicular fluid with in vitro fertilization outcomes among infertile women.

Pesticides

Prenatal Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Targeted Maternal Pregnancy Metabolomic Profiles in the NYU CHES Cohort.

Pesticide Exposure and Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Study of Experiences in Ireland.

Impact of pesticides on human health: A study of Brazilian states with significant agricultural production.

Influence of chronic pesticide exposure on malondialdehyde and 8-OHdG levels among Wuluhan farmers, Jember, Indonesia: a cross-sectional study.

Metals/Metalloids

Environmental exposure to toxic and essential metals and glucose homeostasis in adolescents: A cross-sectional analysis of the Hong Kong School Children Cohort.

Synergistic effects of cadmium exposure and hypertension on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with prediabetes.

Mercury Exposure and Male Fertility: Studying the Impact of Environmental Bioaccumulation on Semen Quality.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Plastic tableware use, microplastic accumulation, and sperm quality: from epidemiological evidence to FOXA1/p38 mechanistic insights.

Laboratory Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Induction of human cytochrome P450 enzymes activity by metabolism disrupting chemicals in the human hepatic cell line HepaRG.

Vinclozolin and MEHP disrupt piRNA and miRNA expression and increase apoptosis in embryonic mouse ovaries.

BPA/Phenols

Bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) Disrupts Gut Microbiota Homeostasis and Induces Intestinal Toxicity in Zebrafish.

Multidimensional mechanistic analysis elucidates spermatogenesis disruption induced by bisphenol S.

LncRNA-mRNA integrated networks in the neuroendocrine system of bisphenol a-treated mice induce cellular dysfunctions by disrupting transcriptional homeostasis.

Revealing Ferroptosis Induction by Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S through Distinct Protein Targets.

Phthalates

Toxicity and mechanistic analysis of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in renal cell carcinoma progression: a systematic study with network toxicology and molecular docking strategies.

The Role of the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway in Protecting Sertoli Cells Against Mono-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate-induced Ferroptosis.

Phthalate exposure to adult mice alters non-coding RNAs in cauda epididymosomes.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces endometriosis by modulating IGF-1 m6A methylation via the intestinal Odoribacter-butyric acid axis in female rats.

Sexual behavior in male mice is impaired by an obesogenic-diabetogenic diet and worsened by exposure to a relevant environmental mixture of phthalates.

In Vitro analysis of the effect of mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) exposure on macrophage inflammatory responses in relationship to Leydig cell steroid production.

Astaxanthin mitigates dibutyl phthalate-induced thyroid hormone disruption in zebrafish larvae via multi-target regulation.

Analysis of the toxicological effects of Calycosin to alleviate diethyl phthalate exposure on cognitive impairment by Network toxicology and Chemical bioinformatics.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Using read-across to identify isobutylparaben as an endocrine disruptor.

Multigenerational toxic effects of Butylparaben and Hexylparaben on Moina macrocopa.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Early life exposure to environmental levels of PCB138 induces lipid metabolism disorders through activating aryl hydrocarbon receptor in female mice.

Deciphering the ototoxic effects of six organochlorine pesticides on HEI-OC1 cells and mouse cochlear organotypic cultures.

Behavioural, biochemical and functional phenotyping of subchronic exposure to chlordecone in mice.

Homopterocarpin alleviates methoxychlor-induced hepatotoxicity via modulating thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin and TLR4/MyD88 pathway: A comprehensive biochemical, histopathological, and computational analysis.

PFAS

Real-life per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances mixture impairs placental function: insights from a trophoblast spheroid model.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure induced ferroptosis through the PPARα/FABP7 signaling pathway in the liver of spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus).

Effects of perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and heat stress on performance and liver health biomarkers in post-pubertal gilts.

GenX induces offspring vascular endothelial ferroptosis by targeting GPX4 for ubiquitination-dependent degradation.

Biotransformation, developmental toxicity, and hepatotoxicity of N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamide (N-EtFOSA) in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Investigation of the toxicological effects of PFAS on cholangiocarcinoma based on network toxicology, bioinformatics, and molecular docking.

Human Proteome-wide Molecular Interaction Analysis Based on AlphaFold3 to Evaluate Toxicity between PFOS and Its Alternative F-53B.

A new perspective on the neurotoxic mechanisms of six typical per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): insights from integrating network toxicology and random forest algorithm.

Flame Retardants

The Effects of House Dust-Derived Mixtures of Organophosphate Esters on Leydig Cell Phenotype, Function, and Lipidome.

Hepatotoxic impact of diphenyl ether on zebrafish: DNA damage, oxidative stress, and histopathological insights after acute and subchronic exposure.

Pesticides

Glyphosate exposure did not increase the risk of UVR-induced skin tumors in hairless mice.

Myclobutanil induces cardiovascular toxicity via thyroid disruption in zebrafish larvae.

Discovery of the Insecticide Chlorantraniliprole as a Thyroid Hormone Receptor β Antagonist Reinforcing Thyroid-Liver Metabolic Disruption to Promote Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Carbamate insecticide bendiocarb induces complex embryotoxic effects, including morphological, behavioral, transcriptional, and immunological alterations in zebrafish.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the toxic effects of Clothianidin on the embryonic development of zebrafish.

How do insecticides affect non-target animals? The oxidative, genotoxic and histopathological effects of carbofuran in Dendropsophus minutus tadpoles.

From exposure to elimination: A comprehensive study of the potential risks of the chiral pesticide dinotefuran to Xenopus laevis tadpoles.

Naringenin alleviates glyphosate-based herbicide kidney injury: A promising approach modulating antioxidants, inflammatory, and ferroptosis pathways.

Metals/Metalloids

Multi-omic insight into the causal networks of arsenic-related genes in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Prenatal exposure to cadmium induces multigenerational inheritance of male testicular damage and mitochondrial biogenesis abnormalities.

Chronic low-dose cadmium exposure induces neurodevelopmental impairment in hESC-derived retinal organoids.

Cadmium disrupts IL6ST/STAT3 signaling involving FBXO2 in decidualization: Environmental trigger of spontaneous abortion.

The dysbiosis of gut microbiota attributes to the impairment of blood-brain barrier in rats triggered by cadmium.

Ameliorative Effects of Urolithin A Against Cadmium-Induced NLRP3-Mediated Pyroptosis and Cognitive Deficits Via Regulating Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling.

Exposure to Fluoride During Pregnancy and Lactation Induces Metabolic Imbalance in Pancreas: A Toxicological Insight Using the Rat Model.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Endocrine disruption and reproductive toxicity of polystyrene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations in Anabas testudineus.

Where Have You Been? Backtracking Microplastic to Its Source Using the Biomolecular Composition of the Ecocorona.

The “Butterfly Effect” of Heart Failure: Induced by the Combination of Polylactic Acid Nanoplastics and Copper from the Perspective of Gut Microbiome.

Synergistic Toxicity of PFAS and Microplastic Mixtures across five human cell lines.

Identification of micro-/nanoplastics in human placental blood using comprehensive multidimensional pyrolysis – gas chromatography x ion mobility mass spectrometry.

Polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics differentially impact mouse ovarian follicle function.

Iron’s silent betrayal: Ferritinophagy-driven mitochondrial damage mediates polylactic acid nanoplastics and Cr(VI)-induced cardiac injury.

Adverse adult-onset and multigenerational effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) developmentally exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics.

Microplastics and nanoplastics, emerging pollutants, increased the risk of pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and in vitro: A comparative evaluation of their potential toxicity effects with different polymers and size.

Unseen threats: How nanoplastics trigger anxiety and depression-like behaviors in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Polyethylene microplastics trigger osteosarcoma progression via ITGA5/FAPα/LGMN cancer promoting complex: A novel environmental cancer promoting mechanism.

Embryotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics, alone and conjugated with bisphenol A, in the black sea urchin Arbacia lixula: A multi-biomarker approach.

Miscellaneous

Multi-omics Analysis Reveals Fluorinated Liquid Crystal Monomers BDPrB/EDPrB Exposure Disrupts the Steroid Biosynthesis Function via Inhibition of CYP17A1.

Integrative multi-omics and molecular modeling reveal mechanisms of 6PPD-induced hepatic oxidative stress and energy metabolism disruption in zebrafish.

Increased S-adenosyl methionine strengthens the suppression in mitochondrial unfolded protein response induced by 6-PPD quinone at environmentally relevant concentrations in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Plastic Additives in Single-Use and Reusable Menstrual Products: Potential Implications for Human Health and the Environment.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Assessing dioxin emissions change in the transition from landfilling of MSW to waste-to-energy.

PFAS

Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in private well drinking water and serum of individuals exposed to PFAS through biosolids: The Maine Biosolids Study.

An unwanted hitchhiker: assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in vehicle cabin air conditioner and engine filters.

Mapping Legacy and Emerging PFAS in China’s Staple Crop Farmlands: Occurrence, Source Tracing, and Risk Prioritization from Paired Soil-Crops.

Short-chain PFAS predominate in large-scale lithium battery industrial parks, Eastern China: Source apportionment and downstream impact implications.

Exploring the fluorinome of PFAS-impacted groundwater using 21 tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometry.

PFAS Isomers Matter: Distribution Patterns of Linear and Branched PFOS and PFOA in Consumed Fish Revealed by Cyclic Ion Mobility Separation.

Field measurement and modelling of PFAS leachability from a contaminated fire training area – whole of pad response to rainfall.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Unveiling Chemical-Microbial Cascade Risk Factors from Plastic Pipe Leaching in Drinking Water.

Release of Nanoplastics from Polypropylene Food Containers into Hot and Cold Water.

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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.