EDC Science Weekly, Sept. 26 – Oct. 2, 2025

Post author:HEEDS
Post published:October 2, 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:

FIGO committee opinion: Environmental drivers of gynecologic and reproductive health.
FIGO committee opinion: Environmental drivers of obstetric health and early childhood development.
The sugar industry’s efforts to manipulate research on fluoride effectiveness and toxicity: a ninety-year history.
Developmental low-dose bisphenol A exposure leads to extensive transcriptome female masculinization and male feminization later in life.
Placental microplastics contamination and its impact on thyroid function in newborns.

Science summaries and highlights

Events

Oct. 14 webinar: ToxicDocs: A database of once-secret chemical industry documents [CHE]

Oct. 8 – Nov. 19 class: Plastics, Microplastics, and Human Health [Physician and Scientist Network Addressing Plastics and Health (P-SNAP)]

Oct. 9: Children’s Environmental Health Day

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

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

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]

More events

Regulations/Policy

Design and prioritization of the French surveillance program of health effects in the context of exposure to endocrine disruptors using a Delphi study.

Paraquat at 63-the story of a controversial herbicide and its regulations: It is time to put people and public health first when regulating paraquat.

The sugar industry’s efforts to manipulate research on fluoride effectiveness and toxicity: a ninety-year history.

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 gain momentum, providing human-relevant alternatives to animal models.

The Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) Lite Principles to ensure utility of computational toxicology models.

A Review of Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) Models to Predict Thyroid Hormone System Disruption by Chemical Substances.

The Toxicity of Microplastics Explorer (ToMEx) 2.0.

High-content Toxicological Profiling of 87 Compounds Using a 3D Mouse Mini-Testis Model: A New Approach Methodology (NAM) for Prioritizing Male Reproductive Toxicants.

DeePFAS: Deep-Learning-Enabled Rapid Annotation of PFAS: Enhancing Nontargeted Screening through Spectral Encoding and Latent Space Analysis.

Estimating the causal effects of exposure mixtures: a generalized propensity score method.

Filling the gaps in environmental justice data: the role of synthetic populations.

Commentaries

FIGO committee opinion: Environmental drivers of gynecologic and reproductive health.

FIGO committee opinion: Environmental drivers of obstetric health and early childhood development.

The EPA’s shaken foundation.

International fluoride symposium: effects of fluoride on human health and its mechanisms of action – a meeting report.

Introduction to the Theme “New Approaches, Technology, and Techniques That Advance Pharmacology and Toxicology”.

On the Symposium “Concept of Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) Using New Approach Methods (NAMs) -Learning from the Study of Thyroid Hormone System and Developmental Neurotoxicity-“.

Current progress and research needs to protect children’s environmental health.

Reviews/Meta-Analyses

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

The silent crisis: investigating the impact of environmental pollutants on embryo-fetal development: a narrative review of the Group of Special Interest for Environment of the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility and Reproductive Medicine.

Chemical disruption of placental thyroid hormone signalling: a systematic review that highlights sex-specific effects.

Immune-Epigenetic Effects of Environmental Pollutants: Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Transgenerational Impact.

Reproductive Effects of Endocrine Disruptors in Domestic Ruminants: Integrating In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence

The potential influence of food additives and contaminants on the gut microbiota: A comprehensive review.

Micropollutants and Their Interactions With Relevant Environmental Viruses.

Transforming the interrelated nature of human psychoneuroendocrine health and endocrine disrupting compounds in our planet’s water: from Wilhelm Waldeyer’s neuron theory to an artificial intelligence extension of the human body?

BPA/Phthalates

Association of bisphenol A exposure with in vitro fertilization outcomes: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

A Systematic Literature Review of Reproductive Toxicological Studies on Phthalates

PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the gut microbiota in infants: A scoping review.

Effects of Perfluorobutane Sulfonate (PFBS) on Female Reproduction, Pregnancy, and Birth Outcomes.

Advancing the understanding of PFAS-induced reproductive toxicity in key model species.

Toxicological, Chemical, Social, and Economic Challenges Associated with PFAS and Replacement Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF).

Pesticides

Immunotoxic effects in children resulting from prenatal and early childhood exposure to pesticides: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Critical Review of Glyphosate-Induced Oxidative and Hormonal Testicular Disruption

Reproductive Risk of Neonicotinoids: A Review of Male Rodent Studies.

Characterization of the toxicological findings from 90-day and 2-year repeated-dose toxicity studies of pesticides in rats.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Microplastics as Vectors for Environmental Contaminants in the Food Chain: Assessing the Combined Toxicological Effects and Bioavailability.

A review of the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on female reproduction: What we know and gaps in knowledge.

Nanoscale plastic pollution: sources, identification and potential mitigation.

Potential threats of environmental microplastics to the skeletal system: current insights and future directions.

Biodegradable Plastics as Sustainable Alternatives: Advances, Basics, Challenges, and Directions for the Future.

Micro- and Nanoplastics and the Oral Cavity: Implications for Oral and Systemic Health, Dental Practice, and the Environment-A Narrative Review.

Polyethylene Microplastics and Human Cells: A Critical Review.

The Human Plastiphere: A Bioparticulate System Challenging Microplastic Risk Assessment and Governance.

Occurrence, fate, and ecological impacts of microplastics in soil: a comparative analysis of conventional, biodegradable microplastics, and tire wear particles.

Miscellaneous

Environmental factors are responsible for the rise of atopic dermatitis in dogs: veterinarians should focus on modifiable influences.

Human Health Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Effects of single and multiple endocrine-disrupting chemical exposures on hyperactivity trajectories among preschoolers: A cohort study.

Investigating Birth and Thyroid Outcomes of Maternal-Fetal Environmental Exposures (IBM-E): A Cohort Protocol for Dietary Iodine and Endocrine Disruptors.

Measuring Environmental Chemical Burden with Wristbands: Implications for Kidney Health Among Women in Rural Guatemala.

Clustering environmental pollutants associated with increased risk of metabolic disease: a hierarchical analysis.

BPA/Phenols/Phthalates

Bisphenol A Exposure Associates with Colorectal Cancer Metastasis and Immunosuppression: A Five-Year Cohort Study.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased bisphenol A methylation score linked to SLE risk genes and selected clinical subphenotypes.

Investigating the association between bisphenols and diabetes: Evidence from epidemiological and bioinformatics.

Association of Prenatal Exposure to Phthalates and Phenols With Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Cohort Evidence Links Phthalate Exposure to Early Onset of Puberty in Chinese Girls.

Associations Between Prenatal Phthalate Exposure and Atopic Symptoms in Childhood: Effect Modification by Child Sex.

Incorporating maternal metabolome and genome to understand the effects of prenatal phenol exposure on the first 1000-day growth in an exposome-based study.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Associations between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure and maternal thyroid hormones during pregnancy.

The effect of dioxin exposure on diabetes and potential dietary modification in the Korean population.

Effects of Dioxin Exposure on Brain Regional Volumes of Fathers from Birth Cohorts in Herbicide-Sprayed and Unsprayed Areas in Vietnam.

PFAS

Association between exposure to perfluoroalkyl compounds during early pregnancy and risk of late miscarriage: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study.

Association between prenatal exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and early language development in the ECHO Cohort.

Associations between maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood neurodevelopment up to age 4: The Japan environment and children’s study.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and bone mineral content and density in 9-year-old children from the Odense Child Cohort.

Individual and Mixed Effects of PFAS on Osteoporosis: Insights from Epidemiological and Bioinformatic Approaches.

Circulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and risk of pancreatic cancer: a nested case-control study within the NYU Women’s Health Study.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and platelet-related hematotoxicity: An integrated study of in silico, toxicological, and population evidence.

Effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on glucose and lipid metabolism in healthy adults: The moderating role of caffeine consumption.

Gestational exposure to poly/perfluoroalkyl substances and risk of congenital structural malformations: A nested case-control study.

PFOA exposure causes kidney injury via disruption of lipid metabolism mediated by PPARα signaling pathway: An integrated analysis.

Molecular and Computational Studies Reveal That Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Can Impair Protamine-DNA Interaction, Potentially Inducing DNA Damage

Flame Retardants

Prenatal OPEs Trimester- and Sex-Specifically Linked to Trajectories of Preschoolers’ Emotional and Behavioral Problems: Insights from Cord Blood Metabolomics.

Associations of Legacy and Emerging Halogenated Flame Retardant Exposures with Childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Related Traits and Brain Functional Connectivity in a Canadian Birth Cohort.

Prenatal Persistent Exposure to Organophosphate Esters and Early Childhood Brain Development: A Longitudinal Analysis.

Associations between exposure to brominated flame retardants and gallstones risk in U.S. adults.

Pesticides

Residential Proximity to Pesticide-Treated Farmland is Associated with Elevated Liver Enzymes.

Metals/Metalloids

Associations of Mercury Exposure with Serum Sex Steroid Hormones in Children 6-18 Years from NHANES 2013-2016.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Placental microplastics contamination and its impact on thyroid function in newborns.

Association between microplastic exposure and macrolide resistance in mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia among younger children: A cross-sectional study in China.

Miscellaneous

Ambient Trichloroethylene Exposure and Parkinson Disease Risk in Medicare Beneficiaries and related Trichloroethylene and Parkinson Disease.

Laboratory Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Electronic waste leachates: A silent toxicological threat to aquatic life – Insights into Biochemical and endocrine disruption mechanism in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) sub-adults.

BPA/Phenols

Developmental low-dose bisphenol A exposure leads to extensive transcriptome female masculinization and male feminization later in life.

Bisphenol S drives breast cancer metastasis by inhibiting dopamine receptor D2 to activate the Akt/GSK3β oncogenic axis.

Bisphenol A impairs developmental potential of mouse blastoids through oxidative stress.

Perinatal exposure to BPA leads to pronounced prostatic morphophysiological disorders in a rodent model of induced hyperplasia.

Toxic Effects of BPAF on Marine Medaka (Oryzias melastigma) During Embryo-Larval Stages.

Exposure to Bisphenol S and Bisphenol F Alters Gene Networks Related to Protein Translation and Neuroinflammation in SH-SY5Y Human Neuroblastoma Cells.

Involvement of autophagy and mitophagy modulation in the protective effect of melatonin against BPS-induced ovarian toxicity.

Protective role of Karanjin against bisphenol A-Induced cognitive deficits and oxidative damage in a zebrafish model

Curcumin Inhibits Bisphenol A-Induced Fat Mass Gain by Enhancing White Adipose Tissue Browning via Modulating Gut Microbiota-Dependent Bile Acid Metabolism in CD-1 Mice.

Phthalates

Environmental di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure accelerates lipid metabolism disorders via the gut-fat axis in male SAMP8 mice: role of gut microbiota and thyroid hormone signaling.

Melatonin alleviates Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate induced Male reproductive toxicity through inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: Behavioral, Biochemical, and Morphological evidences.

Mono(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Disrupts Mitochondrial Function, Dynamics and Biogenesis in Human Trophoblast Cells at Human Exposure Range Concentrations.

Mono(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Induces Inflammatory and Angiogenic Alterations Mediated by the PI3K/AKT Pathway in HTR-8/SVneo Trophoblastic Cells.

Adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive system of single and combined orthophthalates in female rats following short-term exposure.

Migration of phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) materials.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

Triclocarban impacts human sperm motility by inhibiting glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation.

PFAS

Exploring the reproductive toxicity and mechanism analysis of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) based on network toxicology, molecular docking, and experimental validation.

Impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on diabetic kidney disease.

Single-cell RNA sequencing across diverse cell types to identify PFOA-induced ovarian cellular senescence.

Analysis of the effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate on COPD using network toxicology and molecular docking.

Drug interactions with perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer – in vitro studies.

GenX induces neuroinflammatory responses in BV2 microglial cells through mTOR signaling-mediated inhibition of autophagy.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals chronic PFBA exposure at environmental levels induces liver damage in zebrafish.

Protective potential of Pinobanksin against perflurooctane sulfonate induced nephrotoxicity via modulating Nrf-2/Keap-1, inflammation and apoptosis.

Uncovering the Tumorigenic Blueprint of PFOS and PFOA Through Multi-Organ Transcriptomic Analysis of Biomarkers, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Targets.

Integrated multi-omics and machine learning approach reveals the mechanism of nicotinamide alleviating PFOS-induced hepatotoxicity.

HFPO-TA exposure triggers hepatomegaly and lipid peroxidation via Nrf2/keap1 antioxidant dysregulation and ferroptosis activation in the liver.

Organotins

Tributyltin propionate and tributyltin salicylate represent novel RXR ligands: Effects on transcriptional activity of thyroid hormone receptor and vitamin D₃ receptor.

Multi-omics analysis of gut-liver axis reveals the mechanism by which sulforaphane alleviates liver injury in Cyprinus carpio exposed to triphenyltin.

Pesticides

Prenatal exposure to dietary levels of glyphosate disrupts metabolic, immune, and behavioral markers across generations in mice.

Pubertal exposure to glyphosate-based herbicide aggravates diet-induced steatosis and hormonal dysregulation in adult mice.

Glyphosate-based herbicide exposure causes morphological and molecular dysregulation in the brown adipose tissue of ovariectomized female mice.

Ganoderma lucidum mitigates oxidative stress and apoptosis in chlorpyrifos‑induced testicular toxicity in male rats.

Exposure to Kalach, a Glyphosate-Based Herbicide, During Pregnancy and Lactation Induces Hypothyroidism and Bone Disorders in Rat Offspring.

Metals/Metalloids

Dynamic Telomere Length Response to Neurodevelopmental Arsenic Exposure: Insights into Transcriptional Regulation and Neuronal Morphogenesis.

Alterations in the ceRNA regulatory network in brain tissues of mice with anxiety-like and depressive behaviors induced by intrauterine arsenic exposure.

The role of DAAO in cognitive impairment of offspring mice induced by arsenic exposure during early developmental stage.

Minimal Risk Doses of Cadmium Exposure Induce Histological and Functional Alterations in the Brown Adipose Tissue of Wistar Rats.

Microplastics/Nanomaterials

Effect of Dietary Exposure to Low-Density Polyethylene Microplastics and Their Potential Role as Estrogen Vectors In Vivo.

Exposure to Low-Dose Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs the Estrous Cycle by Decreasing ovarian levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and serum progesterone levels in rats

Combined Effect of Microplastics and Tire Particles on Daphnia magna: Insights from Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses.

Developmental stage-dependent carrier effects of nanoplastics on PFOS bioaccumulation and toxicity in zebrafish: Insights from toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic perspective.

Microplastic fiber-induced transgenerational epigenetic disruption impairs fitness in Daphnia magna.

AIM2-PANoptosome-driven PANoptosis in hepatic lipid dysregulation induced by β-HCH and nanoplastics co-exposure

Polystyrene modulation of perfluorooctanoic acid toxicity in zebrafish: Transcriptomic and toxicological insights.

A probiotic for preventing microplastic toxicity: Clostridium dalinum mitigates microplastic-induced damage via microbiota-metabolism-barrier interactions.

Miscellaneous

Route-dependent toxicodynamics of 6PPD-quinone in mussels: Mechanical resilience trades off with subcellular injury and metabolic disruption.

Exposure/Environment Studies

Numerous Chemicals/Mixtures

Determination of Chemical Mixtures in Environmental, Food, and Human Samples Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Based Suspect Screening Approaches.

Examining the Role of Self-Reported Product Selection Strategies in Shifting Chemical Exposures Among Black Women and Latinas: Lessons from the Taking Stock Study

BPA/Phenols

Assessment of bisphenol-related knowledge and awareness among healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional analysis from Türkiye.

Parabens/Triclosan/Antimicrobials

From screening to risk assessment: a comparative study on product usage, human burden, and potential neurotoxicity of novel paraben analogues.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: PCBs, Dioxin, OCPs

Linking Pollution and Viral Risk: Detection of Dioxins and Coronaviruses in Cats and Dogs.

PFAS

Comparison of Four PFAS Mixtures Assessment Approaches Based on Extensive Tap Water and Groundwater Data.

Nontarget and Suspect Screening of Fluorinated Ionic Liquids and PFAS in European Wastewaters Using Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

Current knowledge about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the atmosphere: Fate, analytical methods and research priorities.

Pesticides

A cumulative dietary pesticide exposure score based on produce consumption is associated with urinary pesticide biomarkers in a U.S. biomonitoring cohort.

Temporal trends of agricultural organophosphate pesticide use in California and proximity to pregnant people in 2021.

Complex interactions between the gut microbiota, pesticide contamination and physiological traits in grey partridges.

Metals/Metalloids

Estrogen-containing contraceptive use and blood lead concentrations in a cohort of premenopausal individuals.

Miscellaneous

Melamine and its derivatives in Australian pooled urine samples from 2012-2013 and 2022-2023.

——-

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

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.