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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...
New experiments with combinations of contaminants shows that mixtures can cause harm even when the level of each chemical in the mixture would cause no effect by itself.
Because people are exposed to hundreds of chemicals at a time--or more--these results indicate that setting safety standards based on the action of individual chemicals will not be sufficient to protect human health. 1 September 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...
A new study finds that a single tablet of an over-the-counter herbal medicine can raise the levels of phthalates in the body by 100-fold before being quickly eliminated.
The protective layer that coats the outside of drug capsules contains enough of a phthalate to drive levels in those taking the drugs above the daily intake limits designated by food regulatory agencies in Europe. 23 July 2009. More...
Male rats reach puberty later and have skewed hormone levels after exposure to high concentrations of DEHP, a phthalate.
The researchers tested a wide range of DEHP levels in two different strains of rats and compared when the animals from the differen test groups hit puberty. The doses used – 10, 100, 300 and 900 milligrams per kilogram of rat body weight – are much higher than levels measured in people. 21 July 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...
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...
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...
Research using a powerful statistical model suggests that chemical mixes in wastewater feminize male fish.
Scientists in the United Kingdom report that more than one type of hormonally active chemical -- not just those that act like estrogen -- play a role in sex reversal of male fish. Anti-androgens also contribute. 2 March 2009. More...
A majority of breastfeeding women said if they knew the milk was tainted with pollutants they would wean their babies early out of fear of exposing them to environmental chemicals, even though nursing enhances infant body and brain development and doctors and researchers encourage it.
This study is most likely the first to actually ask women if they would change breastfeeding based on results of pollutants found in their breast milk. 12 February 2009. More...
Researchers in Taiwan find that phthalates can pass from pregnant women to their unborn babies and affect reproductive development in their daughters.
The paper reports an association between two types of the ubiquitous chemicals and permanent changes to the newborns' genitals that point to hormonal interference. Overall, the results provide more evidence that human exposure to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals before birth can alter how reproductive systems form. 30 January 2009. More...
Adult men with average amounts of phthalates in their urine had lower levels of two important hormones -- testosterone and estrogen -- in their blood.
This is the first study to show a relationship between phthalate levels and hormone levels in adult men. The phthalate levels "are representative of those found among the general US population," yet more research is needed to determine impacts on the men's health and fertility, say the authors. 27 January 2009. More...
Pregnant women exposed to phthalates through hairspray and other sources at work have a greatly increased risk of delivering a son with a common reproductive birth defect known as hypospadias. Taking folate supplements might reduce this risk.
The findings from this British study of almost 1,000 infant boys highlights a new and compelling consequence of phthalate exposure and warrants increased caution in the workplace for pregnant women exposed to these chemicals. Phthalates are chemicals used in a wide variety of products including plastics, detergents and personal care products. 19 January 2009. More...
Research with mice reveals that the phthalate DEHP can increase the severity of allergic reactions in young animals when they are exposed neonatally to the contaminant via their mother's milk.
Rates of allergic skin conditions -- called dermitits -- are increasing in people. These new results may shed light on one of the drivers of this trend. 14 January 2009. More...
In this first study examining infants’ exposure to bisphenol A, premature babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units had levels of BPA in their urine 10 times higher than the general population.
The source of exposure most likely was plastic medical devices used in the hospital, although some could have come from infant formula. BPA is a plastic compound that is linked to various health abnormalities in humans and lab animals. 12 January 2009. More...
A mix of two pesticides had greater toxic effects on exposed salmon than would be expected from one separately, adding to concerns that health risks from pesticides are underestimated.
Almost all risk assessments are conducted one chemical at a time, even though wildlife and humans are always exposed to many chemicals at a time. 19 December 2008. More...
Another phthalate commonly found in the urine of U.S. residents was added to the list of those that are possibly contributing to the subtle feminization of boys.
Scientists report that DiBP (diisobutyl phthalate), used in plastics, varnishes and adhesives and detected commonly in people, causes changes in development of the reproductive tract of male rats when exposed in the womb. 31 October 2008. More...
A study of US moms and their babies found that phthalates measured in their urine were similar and correlated, suggesting the chemical exposure is coming from common household and food sources.
Researchers sampled 200 women and their babies in Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa and California. Ninety-six percent of the women in the study reported breastfeeding, which could be a primary route by which the phthalates are transferred from mom to baby. They also found that the correlations between mothers and their children were strongest in the younger babies. 6 October 2008. More...
Mice exposed to low levels of soy proteins before and shortly after birth were obese as adults and had reproductive changes that differed between the sexes.
The findings provide additional evidence that hormonally active compounds can act at low exposure levels and produce effects different from those caused by high exposures. 24 September 2008. More...
Scientists have found a chemical in plastics called MEHP that impairs the development of the reproductive organs of boys when they are exposed in the womb.
The chemical, a phthalate, directly harms the development of cells that make sperm, causing them to die. 15 September 2008. More...
Baby boys exposed to common pollutants during pregnancy are at greater risk of being born with testicular defects.
Boys exposed to the highest mixture levels of PCBs and DDT were three times as likely to be born with undescended testicles. This defect is on the rise in the industrialized world and is related to male infertility. 14 September 2008. More...
In the first prospective study exploring how fetal exposures may affect the risk of childhood obesity, scientists from Spain report that children born to mothers with higher levels of the pesticide hexachlorobenzene in cord blood were significantly more likely to be overweight and obese by the age of six.
These results add to growing evidence that fetal exposure to contaminants can interfere with hormonal mechanisms that control weight later in life, thereby contributing to the world-wide epidemic of metabolic disorder. 22 August 2008. More...
Phthalate exposure is widespread in infants and use of baby care products appears to be contributing, according to an analysis of babies' urine.
Greater use of lotions, powders and shampoos were associated with higher phthalate levels. The associations were strongest in younger infants. Parents wanting to decrease phthalate exposures for their infants should reduce the use of baby products unless needed for medical purposes. 4 February 2008. More...
Exposure to a mixture of phthalates causes reproductive harm in an additive manner.
Rats exposed prenatally to a combination of DEHP and DBP had decreased testosterone levels and decreased expression of genes important for gonadal development. This research has important implications for humans who are continually exposed to low doses of a mixture of phthalates. Toxicological Sciences 8 July 2007. More...
The first study to examine the connection between human exposure to phthalates and changes in thyroid hormone levels reports that men with higher levels of the phthalate breakdown product MEHP in their urine had lower levels of two major thyroid hormones, T4 and T3 in their blood.
Changes in thyroid hormone levels can affect growth, development and metabolism and cause a number of human diseases. More research is needed to establish whether MEHP is causing the thyroid declines. 12 June 2007. More...
Exposure through the skin to PFOA, a chemical commonly used to make fabric protectors, stain repellants and non-stick surfaces, increases the allergic response in mice when they are subsequently exposed to an allergen.
The results suggest one possible explanation for the rising incidence of asthma in children. Exposure to PFOA is virtually ubiquitous. The levels used in this experiment, however, were much higher than those commonly detected in people. 29 May 2007. More...
An international scientific conference has forged a new consensus statement on the importance of fetal exposures for adult health.
Chemical exposures during prenatal and early postnatal life can bring about important effects on gene expression. New research on rodent models shows that developmental exposures to toxic chemicals, such as the hormonally active substances, diethylstilbestrol, tributyl tin, bisphenol A, genistein, can increase the incidence of reproductive abnormalities, metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, and cancer. 25 May 2007. More...
Extensive results from studies of endocrine-disrupting compounds indicate that toxicological testing can no longer assume high dose results predict the effect of low doses.
Because the design of all regulatory testing has been based upon this assumption, it is highly likely to have missed low dose effects and led to health standards that are too weak. 30 April 2007. More...
Young children living in houses with the highest measured levels of a common phthalate in house dust were two to four times as likely to report wheezing or allergic symptoms than those with lower levels.
The results are similar to those found by Swedish investigators in 2004 and support the notion that exposure to common chemicals may contribute to recent increases in allergic disease in the industrialized world. 27 March 2007. More...
Exposure to phthalates is associated with increased DNA damage in human sperm.
Breakdown products of 2 phthalates, DEP and DEHP, were measured in urine and found to increase DNA damage with increasing levels of exposure. Although these measurements were made in men seeking care at an infertility clinic, their phthalate levels were similar to those found in the general population and raises concerns about population level effects. Human Reproduction 1 March 2007. More...
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