Clinical Publications
- Swedish scientists have discovered a remarkable increase in the incidence of leukemia in people living close to an oil refinery. Lysekil is one of the largest and most modern oil refineries in Europe. Yet, during the past 10 years, communities downwind of the refinery had twice as many cases of leukemia as would be expected based on the refinery's low emissions. 5 March 2010. More...
- Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) rubbed onto mouse skin changed the chemistry of the rodents' immune system and made them more prone to developing contact allergies, reports a new study published in the scientific journal Immunology. This is the first study to show how DBP modifies the mouse immune system to predispose it to developing a type of allergy known as contact hypersensitivity. The results support prior studies that have found a connection between phthalates and allergies. 4 March 2010. More...
- Hayes TB, Khoury V, Narayan A, et al. Atrazine induces complete feminization and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 1.
- Sagiv SK, Thurston SW, Bellinger DC, Tolbert PE, Altshul LM, Korrick SA. Prenatal organochlorine exposure and behaviors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in school-aged children. Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Mar 1; 171(5):593-601. Epub 2010 Jan 27.
- Goldner WS, Sandler DP, Yu F, Hoppin JA, Kamel F, Levan TD. Pesticide use and thyroid disease among women in the Agricultural Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Feb 15; 171(4):455-64. Epub 2010 Jan 8
- Midoro-Horiuti T, Tiwari R, Watson CS, Goldblum RM. Maternal bisphenol a exposure promotes the development of experimental asthma in mouse pups. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Feb; 118(2):273-7.
- New research suggests that exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) during gestation and lactation lowers male fertility in adulthood and that the effect may persist for at least three generations. The rat study tested relatively low levels of BPA chosen to fall within the range of human exposure. It is the first to indicate that BPA might have transgenerational effects on male reproductive health. 9 February 2010. More...
- Women who were fed soy-based infant formula as babies are 25 percent more likely to develop uterine fibroids than those who were breastfed or given milk-based formula. Fibroids affect about a quarter of all women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy. This is the first study to examine whether exposure to soy estrogens early in life is associated with fibroids development later in life. 1 February 2010. More...
- Plasticizer may be tied to boys' breast enlargement. A recent report points to yet another possible harmful effect of exposure to phthalates -- a controversial plastics chemical used widely in the manufacture of consumer products. Reuters. 15 December 2009.
Journal article referred to by news article above: Plasma Phthalate Levels in Pubertal Gynecomastia Erdem Durmaz, Elif N. Özmert, Pnar Erkekolu, Belma Giray, Orhan Derman, Filiz Hncal, and Kadriye Yurdakök. American Academy of Pediatrics
14 December 2009 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-0724v1
- Chemical BPA may harm developing fetus, Quebec study suggests. A common chemical used in the plastic lining of frozen-food dinners and many other products is endangering the development of fetuses in pregnant women, a new study suggests. Montreal Gazette, Quebec. 10 December 2009.
Journal article referred to by news article above: Toxic effects of low doses of Bisphenol-A on human placental cells Nora Benachour, Aziz Aris. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Volume 241, Issue 3, 15 December 2009, Pages 322-328
- It's best to avoid BPA, federal official says. The head of the primary federal agency studying the safety of bisphenol A said Friday that people should avoid ingesting the chemical - especially pregnant women, infants and children. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin. 12 December 2009.
- New CDC survey tracks mercury levels in Americans. Mercury exposure in the United States increases with age, then starts tapering off when people turn 50, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a new study assessing chemicals in people's bodies. Greenwire. 12 December 2009.
- Possible defect link to fly sprays. Using insect repellents in early pregnancy could put unborn boys at risk of a birth defect, research suggests. Press Association. 1 December 2009.
Journal article referred to by news article above: Use of biocides and insect repellents and risk of hypospadias
Julien Dugas, Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen, David Martinez, Nina Iszatt, Paul Nelson, Paul Elliott. Occup Environ Med Online
- 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...
Journal article referred to by news article above: Sex-typical play behaviour in boys may be feminized by maternal exposure to phthalates during pregnancy. International Journal of Andrology doi:10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01019.x. Swan, SH, F Liu, M Hines, RL Kruse, C Wang, JB Redmon, A Sparks and B. Weiss. 2009
- D.C. Councilwoman proposes mass chemical ban. A D.C. Council member has proposed banning more than a dozen chemicals that some experts deem dangerous for health and the environment, but are nevertheless standard in many commonly used products. Washington DC Examiner, District of Columbia. 5 November 2009.
- Folic acid tied to asthma risk. Folic acid supplements taken by mid-to-late-term pregnant mothers may lead to a much higher risk of asthma in the child, a new study has found. Melbourne Age, Australia. 5 November 2009.
- Why boys are turning into girls. Official research from Denmark shows that two-year-old children are at risk from an array of gender-bending chemicals in such everyday items as waterproof clothes, rubber boots, bed linen, food, nappies and sunscreen lotion. Yet gender-benders are largely exempt from new EU regulations controlling hazardous chemicals. London Daily Telegraph, United Kingdom. 24 October 2009.
- Environmental factors in birth defects: What we need to know. The causes of only about 30% of birth defects are somewhat well understood, and knowledge even of those is sometimes spotty. The 70% still unknown leaves open the possibility that environmental factors could play a significant role. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1 October 2009.
- 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...
Journal article referred to by news article above: Urinary Phthalate Metabolites in Relation to Preterm Birth in Mexico City. Meeker JD, Hu H, Cantonwine DE, Lamadrid-Figueroa H, Calafat AM, Ettinger AS, et al. 2009. Environ Health Perspect 117:1587-1592. doi:10.1289/ehp.0800522
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.0800522
- Chicago bans BPA products for kids. The Chicago City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to make the city the first in the nation to ban the chemical BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups. Indianapolis WISH-TV, Indiana. 15 May 2009.
- Researchers report a difference in breast cancer risk between minority and white women exposed to PCBs between the 1930s and late 1970s while on the job at manufacturing plants that made electrical capacitors. In non-white women, as exposure to PCBs increased, so did their risk for breast cancer onset. White women working in the same plants had no relationship between PCB exposures and breast cancer onset, a finding that is consistent with previous studies. 2 April 2009. More...
Journal article referred to by news article above: Occupational exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and risk of breast cancer. Silver, SR, EA Whelan, JA Deddens, NK Steenland, NB Hopf, MA Waters, AM Ruder, MM Prince, LC Yong, MJ Hein and EM Ward. 2009. Environmental Health Perspectives 117:276–282.
