New EDC Science

Senior scientists at the National Institutes of Health say new restrictions under the Trump administration are stalling critical medical research and destabilizing the agency’s workforce. Gina Kolata reports for The New York Times.

A new documentary reveals how microplastics have infiltrated nearly every part of the human body, raising alarm over their link to disease and global calls for regulation. Liz Kimbrough reports for Mongabay.

A new nationwide study links exposure to PFAS in drinking water with significantly higher rates of multiple cancers, including some not previously associated with the chemicals. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

A Canadian clinical trial published in the journal Environmental Health, found some reductions of PFAS concentrations in people taking dietary fiber supplements for 4 weeks. In short:

Research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology is the first to investigate prenatal exposure to pesticides and menstrual health during adolescence. In short:

Guadeloupe and Martinique have some of the highest prostate cancer rates in the world, a crisis tied to decades of exposure to the toxic pesticide chlordecone, which was widely used on banana plantations despite early warnings of its dangers. Mathilde Augustin reports for The Guardian.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many herbicides, disrupts female hormones, damages reproductive organs, and may contribute to infertility and diseases like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, according to a new scientific review. Pamela Ferdinand reports for U.S. Right to Know.

Government researchers are being told to flag work on vaccines, fluoride, autism, and 20 other topics for special review — raising concerns about scientific censorship. Annie Waldman and Lisa Song report for ProPublica.

The Food Packaging Forum updates their Database on Migrating and Extractable Food Contact Chemicals (FCCmigex), identifying 1,060 new chemicals present in or migrating from food packaging and other food contact articles. The database now includes 5,294 chemicals (a 20% increase since 2023), and over 35,500 database entries (a 30% increase).

In a recent paper published by Nature Medicine, researchers examined micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) contamination in brain, liver, and kidney tissue samples collected between 2016 and 2024. “I have yet to encounter a single human being who says, ‘There’s a bunch of plastic in my brain and I’m totally cool with that.’”

A new study published in Journal of Hazardous Materials demonstrates how plastic drinking water pipes break down when subjected to high temperatures. “Various VOCs, such as benzene… and vinyl chloride, have been detected in drinking water systems exceeding their health-based state and federal maximum contaminant levels.”

Thousands of scientists worldwide are uniting against the Trump administration’s attacks on science, with major protests planned today to defend research funding, diversity initiatives, and academic freedom. Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

Exposure to multiple pesticides significantly increases the risk of childhood cancers, with new research showing higher rates of brain cancer and leukemia in agricultural communities. Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.

A study published in Environmental Epidemiology examined the association between prenatal PFAS exposure from drinking water and childhood cancers in California. In short:

A new study finds that large synthetic polymers, long considered too big to be harmful, can break down in the environment and release toxic byproducts that threaten human health. Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.

The Trump administration’s attacks on science — slashing research funding, silencing researchers, and threatening grants — are pushing scientists out of the lab and into activism. Heidi Ledford and Alexandra Witze report for Nature.

Widespread human exposure to synthetic chemicals known as parabens includes infants as young as 1 – 3 months, according to a first-of-its-kind study published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. “Evaluating these exposure patterns is critical, as the rapidly growing organ systems of young children are more susceptible to toxic chemicals than adults.”

Recent research reveals that microplastics have permeated human organs, including the brain, liver, and kidneys, with potential health implications. Carolyn Kormann reports for New York Magazine.

In a recent study published in Environmental Science & Technology, researchers developed a database documenting all known uses of toxic PFAS chemicals and assessing potential alternatives based on their performance, availability, and safety. “The information in the database can help the authorities to identify uses of PFAS where alternatives are still lacking and should be the focus of their time and resources for further research.”

Professor Valérie Langlois of the Institut National de Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Quebec is leading a $1.4 million Canada Research Chair project to investigate the impact of endocrine disruptors on health and the environment. Jean-Benoit Legault reports for The Canadian Press.