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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.
For links no longer working, you may be able to gain paid access to text via the publisher's site.
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...
Exposure to low to moderate levels of lead before birth and as a child can permanently change the brain's structure in a way that may alter if and how it transmits messages, a new study finds.
More differences in the nerve cells and the thickness of their coverings were found in adults who had higher lead exposure during development and as children. Some areas of the brain developed less robust nerve pathways and other parts had thicker or thinner coverings. 2 September 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 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...
A recent study links higher blood lead levels with high blood pressure in pregnant women, suggesting that lead exposure may increase the risk of developing hypertension during pregnancy.
All of the women in the study had blood levels below the level considered 'acceptable' by most health agencies, providing additional support for the need to lower the threshold. 10 August 2009. More...
A study of young children in India has found that higher blood lead levels are associated with a suite of behavioral and thinking problems that can alter attention, abstract thinking and appropriate behavior.
This study is one of the first to pinpoint specific childhood behaviors and cognitive skills affected by lead exposure, most notably anxiety, social problems and overall executive function (planning, problem solving, behavior control). The study found no "safe" level. 4 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...
Researchers report that women with higher DDE blood concentrations were 2.5 times more likely to have high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
Increased concentrations of the long-lived pesticide residue were also associated with reduced thyroxine (T4) levels. Potential effects of chemicals on thyroid function during pregnancy are of concern because thyroid hormones play a crucial role in fetal brain development. 14 July 2009. More...
Management measures that keep unwanted pests out of buildings and apartments can control cockroaches and their associated allergens better than traditional pesticide sprayings.
This is the first study to show how a one-time, low cost visit by professionals can effectively reduce the insects' populations for up to six months. Sealing cracks and using bait traps--rather than periodic pesticide applications--to control the pests lowers people's indoor exposures to unhealthy toxic chemicals and allergens that can lead to asthma. 22 June 2009. More...
A detailed analysis of all the available studies comparing work-related, parental pesticide exposure and childhood leukemia finds that the mother’s exposure during pregnancy can double her child’s risk of the disease. The father’s exposure before pregnancy does not.
The study emphasizes the significant contribution of prenatal exposure in developing childhood disease and shows a need for more in-depth studies of the effects of prenatal exposures to environmental factors. 17 June 2009. More...
A five-generation rat study provides the clearest evidence to date that exposure to low levels of environmental estrogens can increase the risk of abnormal cell growth in the male breast.
Abnormalities which could have the potential to become cancerous developed in the mammary gland tissue of male rats that were exposed to either the soy-based phytoestrogen genistein or ethinyl estradiol -- an estrogen used in birth control pills. 27 May 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...
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...
Men with high levels of chemicals used as anti-adhesive, stain and water repellents had fewer normal sperms and a tendency for lower sperm concentration.
This study is the first to evaluate the potential impact of exposure to chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl acids, or perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), on male fertility. 7 May 2009. More...
A genetic trigger in the cell, long studied for its role in responding to some of the most toxic compounds known, appears to have newly discovered important functions in directing development.
The findings show that a receptor long-known to be responsive to dioxins can trigger different genes in the presence of pollutants than it does when no pollutants are around. The results point toward mechanisms that could help explain dioxin's impacts on fetal development. 29 April 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...
Lead released from a woman's bones during pregnancy can affect her developing baby's DNA in ways that can alter gene expression and possibly increase the child's lifelong susceptibility to disease.
This is the first study to show that lead can influence genetic programming in human cells, and hence, gene expression, throughout life. 21 April 2009. More...
A single, modest exposure to caffeine during early development in the womb can alter heart growth and cardiac function later in life, finds this mouse study.
The results suggest even small amounts of caffeine delivered at the wrong time during development may change the heart. Since approximately 60 percent of women say they have consumed coffee during the first month of pregnancy, understanding the consequences of prenatal caffeine exposure is important. 14 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...
Little is known conclusively about what causes brain cancer in children, but research studies are consistently finding links to prebirth pesticide exposure.
A new study finds that children who live in homes where their parents use pesticides are twice as likely to develop brain cancer versus those that live in residences in which no pesticides are used. Herbicide use appeared to cause a particularly elevated risk for a certain type of cancer. 7 April 2009. More...
Researchers report that very minute quantities of the hormone found in the birth control pill alter sperm development in rainbow trout by changing the number of chromosomes, which can lead to lower survival and long-term health problems in the offspring.
This error is called aneuploidy. For people, aneuploidy is the biggest known cause of spontaneous miscarriage and the number one cause of congenital birth defects. 17 February 2009. More...
Dust in used cars contains high levels of potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals, known as PBDEs, reports a study that measured them in older autos found at US dealerships.
The findings show that car interiors represent another source of exposure to the compounds. Levels of one type of PBDE -- called BDE-209 -- were particularly high. Its levels varied by the vehicle's year, manufacturer and country where it was made. 4 February 2009. More...
Genetics, age and gender determine what kind and how badly lungs are harmed in mice that breath ozone, a dangerous type of air pollution.
This study is the first to report which differences influence health effects of ozone exposure in various strains of mice. These data suggest that genetic makeup plays a strong role in how young and adults respond to ozone. 21 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...
A recent study confirms and broadens our understanding of asthma by showing the respiratory disease is highly affected by particulate matter.
For the first time, researchers report that asthma incidence and severity is associated with a specific type of indoor air pollution, referred to as course particulate matter. Specifically, the amounts of wheezing, slowing of a child’s activity and use of rescue medication were all elevated in children living in homes with more of this type of indoor air pollution. 16 December 2008. More...
A common disinfectant used by public water treatment plants creates a byproduct that is highly toxic to mammalian cells. How much is made depends upon details of how the plants process water.
The amount produced can be reduced significantly by simple changes in the treatment process. Despite this, many plants continue to use methods that create more of the toxic chemical than necessary. 18 November 2008. More...
Women living in areas with heavy traffic flow are 1.5 times more likely to lose their babies during late gestation or have their newborns die compared to those who live in areas with less traffic, according to a Brazilian study.
The findings implicate air pollution, but confounding effects of other factors cannot be ruled out. 18 November 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...
Research in Denmark indicates that pregnant women exposed to pesticides at work have an increased risk of sons with abnormal reproductive development.
Their sons are more likely to have undescended testicles, smaller testicles and shorter penises. 4 October 2008. More...
In rats, exposure to low doses of the widely used herbicide 2,4-D impairs a mother's care giving to her newborn pups.
The poor maternal care was linked to changes in certain chemicals in the brains of the mothers as well as to decreased blood levels of the important reproductive hormone prolactin. This animal study by researchers in Argentina is one of the few to show that an environmental pollutant can alter the way a mother cares for her offspring. 3 October 2008. More...
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