EDC Science Weekly, Oct. 14 – 20, 2022

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:October 20, 2022
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, Human Health Studies, Laboratory Studies, Exposure/Environment Studies

Events

Webinar Oct. 25: Honoring Silent Spring: Stories from the Frontlines of the Fight for a Pesticide-Free Future (Hosted by Friends of the Earth and cosponsored by many others)

In person and online event Nov 12: Celebrating 20 Years of Amplifying Science for Health (Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE))

Note that the new issue of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society Journal includes a special section on environmental health in honor of CHE’s 20th anniversary, with articles by Pete Myers, Linda Birnbaum, Tracey Woodruff and Swati Rayasam, Ted Schettler, Margaret Kripke, Julia Varshavski, Jerry Heindel, and many more.

Regulations/Policy

EPA Takes Action Against Harmful “Forever Chemicals” in the US Water Supply

The European exposure science strategy 2020-2030.

Use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in regulatory decisions for chemical safety: Report from an EPAA Deep Dive Workshop.

Current trends in read-across applications for chemical risk assessments and chemical registrations in the Republic of Korea.

Methods/Tools/Screening

Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources

Lessons Learned from the Grouping of Chemicals to Assess Risks to Human Health.

Sensitive image-based chromatin binding assays using inducible ERα to rapidly characterize estrogenic chemicals and mixtures.

Joint survival modelling for multiple species exposed to toxicants.

Situating the Father: Strengthening Interdisciplinary Collaborations between Sociology, History and the Emerging POHaD Paradigm.

A Clinical Preventive Strategy Based on a Digital Tool to Improve Access to Endocrine Disruptors Exposure Prevention: The MEDPREVED Study.

Development of a novel ex vivo model for chemical ocular toxicity assessment and its applicability for hair straightening products.

Development of human retinal organoid models for bisphenol toxicity assessment.

Use of whole-cell bioreporters to assess bioavailability of contaminants in aquatic systems.

Commentaries

Fat chance of escaping obesogens

Environmental health justice across the globe

Editorial: New mechanistic insight into perinatal origins of reproductive disorders caused by chemical exposures.

Editorial: Long-term toxicity and epigenetic effects of environmental exposures.

Editorial: How can diet impair thyroid function?

Reviews

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals’ Effects in Children: What We Know and What We Need to Learn?

Multi- and Transgenerational Effects of Environmental Toxicants on Mammalian Reproduction.

BPA/Phenols

Trends and thresholds on bacterial degradation of bisphenol-A endocrine disruptor – a concise review.

Phthalates

Medical devices as a source of phthalate exposure: a review of current knowledge and alternative solutions.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Triclosan and Its Consequences on the Reproductive, Cardiovascular and Thyroid Levels.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Regulation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells of Gynecological Malignancies: An Update on Signaling Pathways.

Research progress of the POP fugacity model: a bibliometrics-based analysis.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

The effects of exposure to environmentally relevant PFAS concentrations for aquatic organisms at different consumer trophic levels: Systematic review and meta-analyses.

Occurrence and Risks of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Shellfish.

Flame Retardants

Synergistic action of organophosphates and COVID-19 on inflammation, oxidative stress, and renin-angiotensin system can amplify the risk of cardiovascular maladies.

Pesticides

Chlorpyrifos Occurrence and Toxicological Risk Assessment: A Review.

Assessing the therapeutic and toxicological profile of novel acetylcholinesterase reactivators: value of in silico and in vitro data.

Effect of Neonicotinoid Pesticides on Japanese Water Systems: Review with Focus on Reproductive Toxicity.

Ecosystem consequences of herbicides: the role of microbiome.

A systematic review of mechanistic studies on the relationship between pesticide exposure and cancer induction.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance flutianil in light of confirmatory data on the endocrine disruption assessment. [These peer review studies of risk assessments are published in the EFSA Journal and I usually don’t include them because there are a lot of them, but this one includes endocrine disruption so I included it. For more of these, see these EFSA Journal PubMed search results]

Metals/Metalloids

The Epitranscriptomic Mechanism of Metal Toxicity and Carcinogenesis.

Association of Selenium Levels with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Injury and Role of Toxic Heavy Metals in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mercury Exposure among Populations and Environments in Contact with Electronic Waste

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Impacts of microplastics on immunity.

Derivatives of Plastics as Potential Carcinogenic Factors: The Current State of Knowledge.

Potential Artifacts and Control Experiments in Toxicity Tests of Nanoplastic and Microplastic Particles.

Food and human safety: the impact of microplastics.

Potential human health risk assessment of microplastic exposure: current scenario and future perspectives.

Air Pollution

Are the adverse health effects of air pollution modified among active children and adolescents? A review of the literature.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

NRF2 in dermo-cosmetic: From scientific knowledge to skin care products.

PAHs

Bibliometric analysis of global research on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and health risk between 2002 and 2021.

Exposure to PAHs during Firefighting Activities: A Review on Skin Levels, In Vitro/In Vivo Bioavailability, and Health Risks.

Miscellaneous

Polymers without Petrochemicals: Sustainable Routes to Conventional Monomers.

A comprehensive review of various approaches for treatment of tertiary wastewater with emerging contaminants: what do we know?

Research Advances in the Analysis of Estrogenic Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Milk and Dairy Products.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Association between endocrine-disrupting chemical mixture and metabolic indices among children, adolescents, and adults: A population-based study in Korea.

Association of preconception mixtures of phenol and phthalate metabolites with birthweight among subfertile couples.

Prenatal exposure to phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ethers on neonatal health: A birth cohort study in Guangxi, China.

BPA/Phenols

Urinary Phenols in Early to Mid-Pregnancy and Risk of Gestational Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study in a Multiracial Cohort.

Phthalates

Associations of circulating levels of phthalate metabolites with cytokines and acute phase reactants in a Spanish human cohort.

Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and hot flash outcomes: Longitudinal associations in the Midlife Women’s Health Study.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Molecularly tracing of children exposure pathways to environmental organic pollutants and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk.

Organochlorine pesticides may induce leukemia by methylation of CDKN2B and MGMT promoters and histone modifications.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Preconception exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and couple fecundity: A couple-based exploration.

Associations between Mixture of Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Lipid Profile in a Highly Exposed Adult Community in the Veneto Region.

Associations of PFAS-related plasma metabolites with cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and psychosocial stressors have a joint effect on adverse pregnancy outcomes in the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort.

Flame Retardants

The associations between renal disease severity and exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Pesticides

Residential proximity to agricultural pesticide use and risk-taking behaviors in young adults from the CHAMACOS study.

Pesticide exposure and cortical brain activation among farmworkers in Costa Rica.

Dietary zinc intake and body mass index as modifiers of the association between household pesticide exposure and infertility among US women: a population-level study.

Retrospective cumulative dietary risk assessment of craniofacial alterations by residues of pesticides.

Hematological indices as indicators of inflammation induced by exposure to pesticides.

Urinary pyrethroid metabolite and hearing threshold shifts of adults in the United States: A cross-sectional study.

Metals/Metalloids

Exposure to multiple metals in adults and diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional analysis.

Associations of Diet Quality and Heavy Metals with Obesity in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Linking the Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL) Level to Arsenic Acid, Dimethylarsinic, and Monomethylarsonic: Results from a National Population-Based Study from the NHANES, 2003-2020.

Cross-Sectional Association of Blood Selenium with Glycemic Biomarkers among U.S. Adults with Normoglycemia in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013-2016.

Relationship between Metal Exposures, Dietary Macronutrient Intake, and Blood Glucose Levels of Informal Electronic Waste Recyclers in Ghana.

Paternal Occupational Exposure to Heavy Metals and Welding Fumes and Testicular Germ Cell Tumours in Sons in France

Exploring the endocrine disrupting potential of lead through benchmark modelling – Study in humans.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Clinical study on the treatment of male infertility with Wuwei Fuzheng Yijing decoction based on microplastics: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Air Pollution

Long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality from dementia, psychiatric disorders, and suicide in a large pooled European cohort: ELAPSE study.

What is the role of particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5) on excess weight: A cross-sectional study in young Spanish people aged 2─14 years?

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy and Risk of Dementia: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer

Miscellaneous

Determinants of gene expression in the human liver: Impact of aging and sex on xenobiotic metabolism.

Association of environmental exposure to perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate with overweight/obesity and central obesity among children and adolescents in the United States of America using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2016.

Laboratory Studies

BPA/Phenols

The masculinization steroid milieu caused by fluorene-9-bisphenol disrupts sex-typical courtship behavior in female zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Biotransformation of bisphenol-A bis(diphenyl phosphate): In vitro, in silico, and (non-) target analysis for metabolites in rat and bird liver microsomal models.

Fermentation Extract of Naringenin Increases the Expression of Estrogenic Receptor β and Modulates Genes Related to the p53 Signalling Pathway, miR-200c and miR-141 in Human Colon Cancer Cells Exposed to BPA.

Characterization of the Molecular Alterations Induced by the Prolonged Exposure of Normal Colon Mucosa and Colon Cancer Cells to Low-Dose Bisphenol A.

Effects of phenolic compounds on 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in human and rat placenta: screening, mode of action, and docking analysis.

Resveratrol, Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Neurodegenerative Diseases and Depression: Genes, Transcription Factors, microRNAs, and Sponges Involved.

Bisphenol A exacerbates selenium deficiency-induced pyroptosis via the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in chicken trachea.

Long-term BPA exposure leads to bone malformation and abnormal expression of MAPK/Wnt/FoxO signaling pathway genes in zebrafish offspring.

Phthalates

Prenatal and perinatal phthalate exposure is associated with sex-dependent changes in hippocampal miR-15b-5p and miR-34a-5p expression and changes in testicular morphology in rat offspring.

Di-n-Butyl Phthalate and Its Monoester Metabolite Impairs Steroid Hormone Biosynthesis in Human Cells: Mechanistic In Vitro Studies.

Endometrial Cells Acutely Exposed to Phthalates In Vitro Do Not Phenocopy Endometriosis.

Vitamin C mitigates hematological and biochemical alterations caused by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate toxicity in female albino mice, Mus musculus.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Triclosan has a strong influence on the development of mouse preimplantation embryo via activating miR-134/Nanog axis.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Exposure to environmental contaminants and folic acid supplementation intergenerationally impact fetal skeleton development through the paternal lineage in a rat model.

Interspecies differences in mammalian susceptibility to legacy POPs and trace metals using skin fibroblast cells.

Environmentally relevant uptake, elimination, and metabolic changes following early embryonic exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in zebrafish.

Induction of oxidative stress and alteration of synaptic gene expression in newborn hippocampal granule cells after developmental exposure to Aroclor 1254.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Effect of perfluorobutane sulfonate and perfluorooctane sulfonate on lipid homeostasis in mouse liver.

Seizurogenic effect of perfluorooctane sulfonate in zebrafish larvae.

Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Mixtures on the Susceptibility of Larval American Bullfrogs to Parasites.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances activate UPR pathway, induce steatosis and fibrosis in liver cells.

Flame Retardants

In vivo and in vitro study on hepatotoxicity of Tris-(2, 3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate exposure via mitochondrial and death receptor pathway.

Triphenyl phosphate activates estrogen receptor α/NF-κB/cyclin D1 signaling to stimulate cell cycle progression in human Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells.

Pesticides

Exposure to Deltamethrin at the NOAEL Causes ER Stress and Disruption of Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Adult Mice.

Glyphosate, AMPA and glyphosate-based herbicide exposure leads to GFAP, PCNA and caspase-3 increased immunoreactive area on male offspring rat hypothalamus.

Investigation of the toxicity of a glyphosate-based herbicide in a human liver cell line: Assessing the involvement of Nrf2 pathway and protective effects of vitamin E and α-lipoic acid.

Neonicotinoid insecticides promote breast cancer progression via G protein-coupled estrogen receptor: In vivo, in vitro and in silico studies.

Assessment of the Effects of Triticonazole on Soil and Human Health.

Chronic Exposure to Endocrine Disruptor Vinclozolin Leads to Lung Damage via Nrf2-Nf-kb Pathway Alterations.

Chronic Exposure to Vinclozolin Induced Fibrosis, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis in Mice Kidney.

Chlorpyrifos induces neuronal cell death via both oxidative stress and Akt activation downstream-regulated CHOP-triggered apoptotic pathways.

Cocktail Effect of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Application to Chlorpyrifos in Lavender Essential Oils.

Transcriptome analysis reveals hepatotoxicity in zebrafish induced by cyhalofop‑butyl.

Flurochloridone induced abnormal spermatogenesis by damaging testicular Sertoli cells in mice.

The effect of low doses of chlorpyrifos on blood and bone marrow cells in Wistar rats.

Sex-specific behavioral effects of acute exposure to the neonicotinoid clothianidin in mice.

Mitochondrial daysfunction from malathion and chlorpyrifos exposure is associated with degeneration of GABAergic neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans.

A microbiome abundant environment remodels the intestinal microbiota and improves resistance to obesity induced by chlorpyrifos in mice.

Does atrazine induce changes in predator recognition, growth, morphology, and metamorphic traits of larval skipper frogs (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis)?

Origanum majorana essential oil improves the rat’s sexual behavior and testicular oxidative damage induced by imidacloprid via modulating the steroidogenesis pathways.

Trehalose prevents glyphosate-induced hepatic steatosis in roosters by activating the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Neurotoxicity induced by the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin: Alterations in monoaminergic systems and dopaminergic and serotoninergic pathways in the rat brain.

Metals/Metalloids

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Is Strongly Implicated in Cadmium-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity and Neuroinflammation: Clues from Zebrafish Neurobehavior and In Vivo Neuroimaging.

Metabolomics Analysis of Chronic Exposure to Dimethylarsenic Acid in Mice and Toxicity Assessment of Organic Arsenic in Food.

Comparison of the characteristics of gut microbiota response to lead in Bufo gargarizans tadpole at different developmental stages.

Lead induced disorders of lipid metabolism and glycometabolism in the liver of developmental Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) via inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Evaluation of Neurotoxicity in BALB/c Mice following Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics.

Intestinal flora variation reflects the short-term damage of microplastic to the intestinal tract in mice.

Gender difference in hepatic AMPK pathway activated lipid metabolism induced by aged polystyrene microplastics exposure.

Polycarbonate microplastics induce oxidative stress in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge by leaching bisphenol A.

The Effects of Seven-Day Exposure to Silver Nanoparticles on Fertility and Homeostasis of Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Prenatal exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles induces persistent neurobehavioral impairments in maternal mice that is associated with microbiota-gut-brain axis.

Oral exposure to Ag or TiO₂ nanoparticles perturbed gut transcriptome and microbiota in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.

Air Pollution

Trimethylamine, a gut bacteria metabolite and air pollutant, increases blood pressure and markers of kidney damage including proteinuria and KIM-1 in rats.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Short-term exposure to norethisterone affected swimming behavior and antioxidant enzyme activity of medaka larvae, and led to masculinization in the adult population.

Environmental degradation of human metabolites of cyclophosphamide leads to toxic and non-biodegradable transformation products.

The influence of continuous prenatal exposure to valproic acid on physical, nociceptive, emotional and psychomotor responses during adolescence in mice: Dose-related effects within sexes.

Miscellaneous

Effect of monosodium glutamate on serum sex hormones and uterine histology in female rats along with its molecular docking and in-silico toxicity.

The protective effect of L-carnitine on testosterone synthesis pathway, and spermatogenesis in monosodium glutamate-induced rats.

Assessment of the bioaccessibility of PAHs and other hazardous compounds present in recycled tire rubber employed in synthetic football fields.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Hazardous organic pollutants in indoor dust from elementary schools and kindergartens in Greece: Implications for children’s health.

Estrogenic, androgenic, and glucocorticoid activities and major causative compounds in river waters from three Asian countries.

BPA/Phenols

Occurrence and profile characteristics of environmental phenols in human urine from a rural area in Northwestern China.

Bisphenol analogues in water and sediment from the Beibu Gulf, South China Sea: Occurrence, partitioning and risk assessment.

Phthalates

Evaluating Indoor Air Phthalates and Volatile Organic Compounds in Nail Salons in the Greater New York City Area: A Pilot Study.

Occurrence of phthalates in facemasks used in India and its implications for human exposure.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

A comparative study on the sensitivity of selected freshwater fishes against triclosan exposure.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Maternal Transfer and Long-Term Population Effects of PCBs in Baltic Grey Seals Using a New Toxicokinetic-Toxicodynamic Population Model.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances

Plasma concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids and their determinants in youth and adults from Nunavik, Canada.

Swimming with PFAS in public and private pools.

Analysis of Per- and Poly(fluoroalkyl) Substances (PFASs) in Highly Consumed Seafood Products from U.S. Markets.

Spatiotemporal and life history related trends of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Indo-Pacific finless porpoises from south China sea (2007-2020).

Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances before and after full-scale landfill leachate treatment.

Biological and Chemical Transformation of the Six-Carbon Polyfluoroalkyl Substance N-Dimethyl Ammonio Propyl Perfluorohexane Sulfonamide (AmPr-FHxSA).

Flame Retardants

Occurrence of emerging brominated flame retardants and organophosphate esters in marine wildlife from the Norwegian Arctic.

Occurrence and ecological risks of brominated flame retardants and dechlorane plus in sediments from the Pearl River Estuary and Daya Bay, South China.

Concentration, Distribution and Biomagnification of Novel Brominated Flame Retardant in Grassland Food Chain and Sheep from Inner Mongolia, China.

A Pilot Study on the Concentration, Distribution and Bioaccumulation of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Tissues and Organs of Grassland Sheep.

Pesticides

First report on atrazine monitoring in drinking water from Ijebu-North, South-West Nigeria: Human health risk evaluation and reproductive toxicity studies.

Metals/Metalloids

Occurrence and health implications of heavy metals in preschool children’s clothing manufactured in four Asian regions.

Pharmaceuticals/Personal Care Products

Concentrations, Compound Profiles, and Possible Sources of Organic UV Filters in Human Milk in China.

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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. Note that journal publication dates may be different from dates added to PubMed. To see the searchable archives, please email me at sarhow@gmail.com and ask to join the EDC Science Weekly group EDC_research@googlegroups.com. The searchable archives are at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/edc_research or online at https://heeds.org/category/edc-science-weekly/. Compiled by Sarah Howard, Diabetes and Environment and HEEDS, a program of Environmental Health Sciences.

EHN EHN

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: hazards and opportunities (ECHO) course
by Sarah Howard on October 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm
This course focuses on the chemical, biological, and societal challenges of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and new opportunities for moving forward. ECHO is a two-week intensive bootcamp-style career development course for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals in the field. It is held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Lou Guillette Jr. Memorial Symposium
by Sarah Howard on October 22, 2024 at 1:30 pm
On March 14-15, 2025, HEEDS is hosting the Lou Guillette Jr. Memorial Symposium on endocrine disrupting science at the University of Florida. It will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Guillette, gather together his trainees and colleagues, and focus on the research topics that Lou made famous. Information here.
Webinar: The overturning of Chevron deference: impacts on environmental health decision making
by Sarah Howard on October 17, 2024 at 4:21 pm
In this Nov. 13 webinar, legal experts will discuss the implications of the overturning of Chevron deference and its profound impact on science, public health and decision-making. Sponsored by CHE and UCSF's EaRTH Center.

EHN EHN

Ultra-processed foods and plastic packaging make for the ultimate toxic pair, scientists say
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 25, 2024 at 10:37 am
A recent paper published in Globalization and Health explores the relationship between ultra-processed foods (UPFs), plastic packaging, and their combined threat to public health. “Consumers do not have the power to solve a problem of this scale, and thus it is the responsibility of policymakers to ensure that transitions away from unhealthy, unsustainable foods are accompanied by structural measures that support demand and access to healthy foods.”
Microplastic exposure linked to reduced sperm quality in humans
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 23, 2024 at 4:29 pm
Exposure to microplastics is associated with a decrease in sperm concentration, motility, and shape, according to a new study published in The Lancet. “The identification of non-stick pan coating material PTFE as a particularly hazardous microplastic for male fertility underscores the importance of targeted interventions to reduce exposure to this and similar substances.”
Exposure to PFAS in ski wax may be linked to high cholesterol
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 16, 2024 at 7:42 pm
According to a new study published in Environmental Research, skiers and snowboarders may face health risks from their exposure to PFAS via ski wax, which can contain up to 100% PFAS by mass. “Interventions to remove PFAS from fluorinated wax could decrease direct exposure to skiers and reduce PFAS release into the environment.”

EHN EHN

Stricter toxic chemical rules reduce Californians’ exposures
by Kristina Marusic on October 31, 2024 at 11:25 am
Californians have lower levels of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm in their bodies than people in the rest of the country, according to a new study. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives and conducted by researchers at Silent Spring Institute, a nonprofit scientific research organization, and the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley), looked at nationwide data on the levels of 37 toxic chemicals in people’s blood before and after California introduced its stringent regulations. It found that for 18 of these chemicals, Californians have lower levels in their bodies than the rest of the country.
EPA dismissed data on the neurotoxicity of common insecticides
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on October 30, 2024 at 5:56 pm
A recent paper in Frontiers in Toxicology examined research submitted by industry to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the neurotoxicity of neonicotinoids - the most widely used class of insecticides in the U.S. and worldwide - and found that the data was evaluated improperly by the agency. Why this matters: Neonicotinoids are widely used not only for commercial agriculture but also for more personal uses like home gardens and in some flea and tick treatments for pets. Humans are regularly exposed to neonicotinoids – which are structurally similar to nicotine – through the environment, food and water. Neonicotinoids’ popularity partly comes from the belief that their harmful effects are mostly limited to insects, but studies like this one demonstrate that mammals may also be harmed by the chemicals, and highlight the urgent need for stronger regulations around their use.
Pesticide regulations ignore critical threats to insect health and ecosystems
by EHN Curators on October 30, 2024 at 10:26 am
In a study revealing regulatory gaps, researchers found that pesticides impact insect behavior and survival at non-lethal doses, especially in warmer temperatures, calling into question the effectiveness of current pesticide safety protocols. Dave Goulson writes for The Conversation.