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While all links worked when entries were posted to the database, different publishers
have different policies about retaining articles and providing access to archived material.
Thus some of the links, particularly older ones, may no longer be functional.
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Boys exposed to phthalates during pregnancy are less likely to choose “boy typical” toys such as trucks, suggesting that phthalates can alter brain development and gender-specific behaviors.
This is the first study to suggest a link between prenatal phthalate exposure and male behavior. The results indicate that phthalates can interfere with testosterone during development leading to a less masculinized brain. 16 November 2009. More...
For the first time, research shows that nanoparticles called fullerenes are filtered out of water by oysters and taken up by their liver cells.
Fullerenes may cause long-term health problems in oysters and reduced survival and reproduction. 16 November 2009. More...
Persistent pollutants measured in the blood of college students may be the remnants of past exposures instead of current exposures through food and dust, researchers conclude in a recently published study.
While different in structure and use, PCBs and DDT are types of long-lived pollutants that can persist in the environment, concentrate through food chains, and accumulate in fatty tissue of wildlife and people. They are slow to leave the body and are linked to some endocrine effects and cancers. 26 October 2009. More...
Household dust is an important source of exposure to a lesser known – but ubiquitous and potentially toxic – flame retardant, reports a study from Belgium.
This study is the first to examine the relationship between dust, diet and serum concentrations of hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs). Results are consistent with studies of other better known flame retardants, indicating that indoor sources may contribute most of human exposure to these chemicals. 8 September 2009. More...
The more perfumes and body lotions that are used, the higher the levels of synthetic fragrances – called polycyclic musks – that are in the blood, reports a new study that examined college students from Austria.
This is one of only a few recent studies that have measured levels of polycyclic musks in human blood, even though they have widespread and increasing use in personal care products. 19 August 2009. More...
A new study conducted in New York City concludes that prenatal exposure to the common air pollutants – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – can lower children’s IQ at kindergarten age.
While this is the first study to show that prenatal exposure to PAH can lower children’s IQ, PAHs are known to affect neurodevelopment, reproduction and growth, and to cause cancer. 13 August 2009. More...
Iron nanoparticles that are poised for use in large-scale pollution remediation can rapidly react with oxygen and cause lung cells to die.
The same qualities that make these particles potentially useful in environmental clean-up -- their high reactivity -- also make them potentially harmful to living things. Some of the reactions can release free radicals that can damage cell DNA. 12 August 2009. More...
A new study in Mexico finds that women with higher exposure to phthalates during their third trimester of pregnancy were up to four times as likely to have their babies early.
This is the first human study to investigate associations between exposure to phthalates and preterm birth rates. Early births are of concern because they are associated with long-term health problems and are the leading cause of neonatal mortality in the United States, accounting for more than one third of infant deaths. 3 August 2009. More...
People who eat meat and poultry have significantly higher levels of common flame retardants compared to vegetarians.
The findings indicate that food may be a more important source of the contaminants, known as PBDEs, than previously thought. 22 July 2009. More...
Women in menopause are more prone to the BPA-associated health effects of inflammation and oxidative stress than either men or women who are still menstruating, according to a study of Korean adults.
This is the first time BPA has been linked to these conditions in people and suggests older women may be more susceptible to the chemical's estrogen-like manner that drives these particular types of cell damage. Oxidative stress can be involved with aging, cancer and other disease states. 13 July 2009. More...
A team of researchers report that some low concentrations of a commercial brominated flame retardant mix – which have no effect in laboratory rats – caused pregnancy failures when fed to female mink.
The low levels tested also skewed thyroid hormone levels in juvenile offspring that were exposed during development and weaning. The younger animals were more sensitive to the chemicals than the adult animals. 30 June 2009. More...
Air pollution in a remote Arctic community in Norway approaches levels seen in larger European towns due to the springtime use of snowmobiles.
The pollution is 100 times higher during the spring snowmobile season than during the summer when only cars and large coal trucks are used in the remote area. Older snowmobiles with outdated, 2-stroke engines contribute the most to the excessive levels in the spring. 24 June 2009. More...
A bacteria-killing chemical widely used in an array of consumer products has made its way down kitchen and bathroom sinks and into dolphins living in US coastal waters.
Researchers report for the first time that a marine mammal--the bottlenose dolphin--is accumulating triclosan from water bodies where treated sewage is released. The study examined animals from rivers, an estuary, a harbor and a lagoon in South Carolina and Florida. 18 June 2009. More...
A new study shows that pesticides, some already banned for decades from the US market, continue to persist in homes.
DDT and chlordane – two pesticides that have been banned for decades – were found in 42 percent and 74 percent of homes respectively. Chlorpyrifos and diazinon, both banned for several years, were detected in 78 percent and 35 percent of homes respectively. 16 June 2009. More...
Newborn girls exposed prenatally to phthalates scored poorly on a standard behavior test – and very differently from boys. The phthalate metabolites found in the mother's urine were associated with the girls' poor performance on tests of attention and alertness.
This is the first study to link phthalates to neurological development effects in humans. Previous health studies have linked phthalates to altered genital development, obesity, diabetes risk and poor sperm quality. 8 June 2009. More...
Bacteria in sewage can chemically transform estrogenic compounds, converting them to back to their original chemical form as the sewage travels toward treatment plants after the compounds have been excreted by people.
The findings open the door to exploring new ways in which the estrogens that are more resistant to bacterial modification could be changed at the sewage treatment plant to make them easier to remove from the water. 5 June 2009. More...
Phthalates used in plastics and beauty products cause the death of cells essential for healthy bones, according to a new study with mice.
The researchers conclude that "chronic exposure to phthalates at low concentrations could probably affect new bone formation and matrix deposition with clinical implications on bone homeostasis and mineral density." 3 June 2009. More...
Traditional and locally harvested foods contribute more persistent, stain-repelling compounds to the native Inuit diet than packaged food that is imported and sold at the local stores, report researchers who analyzed and compared exposures from the two food sources.
The estimated PFC exposure of the Nunavut Inuit studied is similar to levels measured in Canadians and Europeans. Yet, no universal health standards are set for PFC exposure, so the health impacts are unclear. 2 June 2009. More...
Researchers report a shift in the types and amounts of stain repelling chemicals found in harbor seals living near populated regions in the North Sea. Levels of one of the most studied kinds in this family of chemicals showed declines during the study's ten year span.
These findings add to a growing number of studies showing that environmental concentrations of some of the most widely used perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are declining, possibly because of replacement by less long-lived chemicals. 1 June 2009. More...
New research indicates that smoking during pregnancy can lead to impulsive behavior in children.
Preteenagers whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are more impulsive on a standard behavior test and use different regions of their brain while performing the test when compared to children whose mothers did not smoke. 26 May 2009. More...
Preschoolers who lived in homes using gas appliances scored lower on cognitive tests and had a higher likelihood of exhibiting inattention behaviors than those in homes without gas appliances, finds a recent study.
The effects on memory, verbal skills and the coordination of complex behaviors were greater when more gas appliances were used in the homes. They were also more pronounced in children with a certain gene type involved with the detoxification of toxic exposures. 22 May 2009. More...
Cigarette smoke can change prebirth development in ways that contribute to cardiovascular disease later in life, according to results of this study using mice.
Smoking exposure altered body weight and cholesterol levels in the offspring. The research is part of a rapidly developing field that examines prenatal environmental exposures which can impact health later in life. 18 May 2009. More...
Researchers report a higher risk of genital anomalies in boys exposed before birth to polybrominated biphenyl flame retardants.
Although no longer used, the effects of exposure to PBBs are of concern due to their similarity to currently used flame retardants, their long half-life and their ability to cross the placenta. The children of mothers who had the highest exposures also had a greater risk for urinary tract or genital problems. 15 May 2009. More...
A new study finds that exposure to bisphenol A in the womb causes infant male monkeys to behave more like infant females, highlighting a new and potentially important consequence of exposure to low doses of BPA.
The species of monkey used in this study was chosen due to its similarity to humans. People are exposed to BPA–a chemical found in hard plastics–through food, water and some medical instruments. 11 May 2009. More...
One year after a ban on smoking in all work places and some hospitality venues in Spain, nicotine levels in the air were significantly diminished -- up to 97 percent in some cases -- in offices and were much lower in nonsmoking areas of restaurants and bars.
The reductions are important because evidence linking secondhand smoke to adverse health effects has been growing. Even small exposures to the cancer-causing agents found in tobacco smoke increase the risk of cancer. 4 May 2009. More...
A recent study in Arizona of household air identified over 400 airborne chemicals ranging from pesticides to phthalates.
Pesticides, including diazinon, chlorpyrifos and DDT were found at surprisingly high levels, as were phthalates. 28 April 2009. More...
Dogs are more likely to develop cancer if they live near Naples, Italy in places where illegal waste disposal commonly occurs and people have a high rate of cancer deaths.
Other studies from the Naples region document high rates of people dying from cancer, especially in an area northeast of Naples called the “triangle of death." 20 April 2009. More...
Exposure to a commercial mix made up of common flame retardants led to thinner eggshells, fewer hatchings and less successful reproduction in captive American Kestrels.
The flame retardant chemicals may be contributing to declining numbers of this species in parts of North America. The new findings are similar to the well known effects that the now banned insecticide DDT had on predatory raptors during the middle decades of last century. 15 April 2009. More...
A study with mice finds that diet can modify the harmful effects of bisphenol A. The findings shed light on perceived inconsistencies in BPA research results.
Differences in diet dramatically altered the risk that mouse oocytes would develop errors in how chromosomes are aligned during cell division after exposure to BPA. When these errors occur in people, they can cause spontaneous miscarriage and severe disabilities. 9 April 2009. More...
Scientists identify changes in brain chemistry caused by perfluorinated chemicals that may be the cause of 'deranged spontaneous behavior' observed when young mice are exposed to PFCs.
The chemicals are used in clothing, carpeting, upholstery, floor and car waxes, firefighting foams, and even in the lining of food containers, including pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags. 3 April 2009. More...
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