New EDC Science

Wastewater treatment facilities with technology similar to the plants that serve 70% of the US population are ill-equipped to address contamination from organofluorine chemicals, a class of chemicals that include toxic PFAS, according to recent findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “The US Food and Drug Administration’s drug approval process does not consider the environmental persistence and secondary human and ecological exposures to pharmaceuticals….The potential public health consequences of ubiquitous low-level exposures to these compounds require urgent consideration.”

In a recent study published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers compared levels of chemical exposures between healthy dogs and dogs displaying early signs of bladder cancer. “Our household pets share our daily domestic environment and thus offer opportunities for consideration as sentinel species for exposure related concerns.”

Recent research using mouse models shows that bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical in plastics, impairs uterine development during pregnancy and increases the risk of preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right To Know.

The risk of developing certain cancers, including thyroid and lung cancers, may increase with exposure to PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in U.S. drinking water, according to a new study. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

To highlight the dramatic health costs of plastics, a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences examines the disease burdens of three common plastic chemicals across one third of the world’s population. “Protection of human health against the hazards of chemicals in plastics will require a paradigm shift in national chemical law in multiple countries including the United States, Canada, and the EU. It will require a more precautionary approach that prioritizes the protection of human health and no longer presumes chemicals are safe.”

A comprehensive analysis of dozens of studies has strengthened the link between fluoride exposure and lower IQ, raising questions about public water fluoridation policies. Douglas Main reports for The New Lede.

A recent study published in Frontiers in Toxicology compared the health impacts of exposure to different types of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in fish, highlighting the importance of considering particle shape, size and weathering when studying MNP toxicity. “It is concerning that weathered microfibers (which produce nanoparticles), nano-sized tire particles, and nano-sized polylactic acid particles from bio-based single-use products all elicited similar responses in gene expression related to muscle function.”

Prenatal exposure to chemicals in plastics may increase body fat in toddlers, raising their risk for obesity and related diseases later in life. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

Exposure to the herbicide atrazine accelerates brain cell aging and damages the hypothalamus in mice, potentially increasing risks of neurodegenerative diseases, a new study shows. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

According to a recent study published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, exposure to plastic products and the chemicals they leach is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. “To prevent ongoing harm from plastic products to human health, it is essential to avoid using plastic containers for high-temperature food, reduce the use of plastic products in daily life, and implement timely plastic pollution control measures.”

Tiny plastic particles, found in air, water and food, are accumulating in human organs and may contribute to health issues, though research remains ongoing. Will Stone reports for NPR.

The impact of plastics on health is an area of increasing concern.

A new consensus statement published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology proposes a set of 12 characteristics that can be used to identify metabolic-disrupting agents – chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and environmental hazards that increase the risk of metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity. “This approach will enable a more comprehensive mechanistic understanding of how environmental chemicals and other agents disrupt metabolism and cause adverse outcomes.”

Chris Kassotis, Ph.D., is the 2024 winner of the Lou Guillette, Jr. Outstanding Young Investigator Award, sponsored by Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS). The award, in honor of scientist and mentor Lou Guillette, Jr., is given to an early-career scientist working in some aspect of endocrine disruptor research. The Kassotis lab focuses on understanding endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and mixtures, and their potential impacts on human and animal health, with a particular focus on metabolic health. He takes on critical public health issues, such as the health effects of chemicals found in fracking fluids and in artificial turf.

Dr. Theo Colborn, who passed away December 14, 2014, was the founder of the endocrine disruption field, connecting the dots among the different health problems seen in wildlife with those seen in humans, tying them to the endocrine system and to chemical pollutants. For the 10th anniversary of her passing, we reached out to people who knew her well. We and many others miss her unrelenting passion for raising the scientific curtain on endocrine disruption, for using her eclectic mind in pursuit of all its many manifestations, and not ever giving up, despite dark forces who would rather she’d been quiet.

In a recent study published in Environmental Pollution, researchers measured microplastic exposure in college students from three cities across China. “There is an urgent need to detect and assess human microplastic exposures in order to investigate their health effects.”

According to a recent study published in Environmental Research, individuals who consume U.S. freshwater fish are exposed to a mixture of chemical contaminants that can have combined health effects. “Despite some successes in curtailing release of pollutants, some contaminants in fish tissue have not declined and legacy and emerging pollutants continue to pose risks to fish consumers in the U.S.”

A recent review published in The Lancet examines how China – which in 1980 had a diabetes prevalence of less than 1% – currently has the largest number of people with diabetes in the world. “Public health interventions targeting these risk factors are urgently needed and there is a current paucity of studies evaluating the implementation effectiveness of these interventions.”

Exposure to glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, caused brain inflammation and accelerated Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in mice, raising concerns about its impact on human brain health. Carey Gillam reports for The New Lede.

A recent study published in JAMA Neurology found that long-term exposure to the fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke is associated with a higher risk of a dementia diagnosis. “These results align with prior research consistently demonstrating that individual-level and area-level social determinants compound the risk of adverse health outcomes associated with climate-driven environmental exposures.”