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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.
Levels of antibiotics measured in streams, lakes and well water near pharmaceutical factories in India are 100,000 to 1,000,000 times higher than levels measured in waters that receive sewage effluent in the US or China.
Much of the world's supply of supply of generic antibiotics are produced in the study area. 9 September 2009. More...
Scientists report that a number of Roundup formulations tested at very dilute concentrations can alter hormone actions and cause human liver cells to die within 24 hours of treatment.
The key factor affecting how dangerous the different formulations were lay in their "inert ingredients" ... chemicals usually protected by trade secrets clauses. 18 August 2009. More...
Developmental exposure to PCBs can permanently damage hearing but co-exposure with methyl mercury reduces the effects.
The mercury doses were selected to achieve a ratio of PCBs to methyl mercury similar to that found in walleye caught by fisherman in Wisconsin, but the doses were higher than those typically encountered by people. 25 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...
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...
Atlantic salmon exposed to short springtime bursts of acidic runoff water are less able to migrate to the ocean because of important changes in their ability to balance salt.
This is the first study to show that health effects occur in streams with only brief periods of acidification. The decline in water quality occurs when the salmon are at a critical period in their development and may contribute to the continued decline of this endangered species. 6 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...
Triclosan, an antibacterial agent used in toothpastes, soaps and cosmetics, alters thyroid function in male rats, highlighting a potential concern for people - especially pregnant women and children.
Effects occurred at doses that people may experience, given the many diverse sources of exposure now prevalent because of triclosan's widespread use. 5 December 2008. More...
A new study from Sweden finds that several nanomaterials--now widely used in sunscreens and other consumer products--can damage the DNA of human lung cells.
The researchers exposed human cells from the surface of lungs to eight different types of nanomaterials and measured DNA damage and indicators of stress. The findings highlight the urgent need for proper testing of these small particles to understand the health risks associated with each type of material. 7 October 2008. More...
Adult men may have lower testosterone levels if their mother drank large amounts of coffee during pregnancy.
This new study from Denmark finds that the adult sons whose mothers drank large amounts of coffee during pregnancy had testosterone levels almost 10% lower than those whose mothers drank none to three cups of coffee per day. 5 October 2008. More...
Drinking coffee may benefit health by targeting and killing viruses such as herpes and poliovirus, according to new research from Japan.
Coffee both reduced herpes virus's ability to spread to other cells and halted their reproduction. With polio virus, the extracts stopped viral multiplication. 30 September 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...
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...
Researchers report that chemical contaminants in soil suppress crop yields of alfalfa by interfering with chemical signaling essential for nitrogen fixation.
They estimate that over a full growing season crop yields may be decreased by as much as one-third. The contaminants interfere with how nitrogen-fixing bacteria communicate with their plant hosts using phytoestrogens. 6 June 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...
Scientists report that bacterial resistance to antibiotics important for fighting human disease is heightened in ground and surface waters downstream of a factory pig farm.
The water sources below the swine feedlot also contained higher concentrations of the three types of intestinal bacteria studied than the surface and groundwater tested above the facility. The results show that waste from a swine CAFO can contribute antibiotic-resistant fecal bacteria to natural water systems. 18 May 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...
Traditional covert influence of industry on occupational and environmental health policies has turned brazenly overt in the last several years.
More than ever before the OEH community is witnessing the perverse influence and increasing control by industry interests. Government has failed to support independent, public health-oriented practitioners and their organizations, instead joining many corporate endeavors to discourage efforts to protect the health of workers and the community. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health [PDF]. 2 March 2007. More...
A large study of US women by the CDC finds that the higher their level of perchlorate, the lower their thyroid function.
The effects were observed at perchlorate levels lower than would be predicted from previous studies. The women most at risk were those with low iodine levels-- approximately one-third of US women. Impaired thyroid during pregnancy have ave detrimental effects on fetal development. Environmental Health Perspectives. 7 October 2006. More...
Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A causes long-lasting changes in female rat breast tissue that increase the risk of cancer and also make the animals more sensitive to cancer-causing chemicals as adults.
The study strengthens support for a link between increasing rates of breast cancer in recent decades and increasing exposure to estrogenic chemicals like BPA. It also indicates that human epidemiological studies that fail to incorporate developmental exposures can't be trusted to identify cancer-causing agents. 25 September 2006. More...
Science Byte: As small particle air pollution increases, cardiovascular and respiratory problems mount for senior citizens.
Scientists tracked hospital admission rates among Medicare patients in relation to concentrations of small particle air pollution (PM 2.5). Even a small rise results in more hospitalizations. JAMA. 8 March 2006. More...
Science Byte: A study of mouse nerve cells finds that mixtures of food additives suppress proper cell growth and signaling.
Four additives were studied: aspartame, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the artificial colourings brilliant blue and quinoline yellow. The concentrations used in the experiments were what could be ingested in a typical snack or drink. The mixtures of the additives had a much stronger effect than each additive on its own. Toxicological Sciences. 21 December 2005. More...
Science Byte: Experiments with rats reveals that the widely used artificial sweetener aspartame causes a wide array of cancers, even at doses much less than the current acceptable daily intake.
Cancers found included lymphomas, leukemias, and transitional cell carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter. The experiments were longterm, over the life of the animals, and with large sample sizes. Based on their findings, the researchers call for "an urgent re-examination" of present guidelines for aspartame. EHP. 21 November 2005. More...
Thousands of studies conducted by thousands of scientists from around the world have been published in the last decade about endocrine disruption.
They confirm that some contaminants used in commmon products can disrupt hormone signaling and alter gene expression, thereby altering development. Some of the most important studies are summarized here. 24 July 2005. More...
Scientific research links cardiovascular disease to a number of environmental exposures, including air pollution, metals and solvents.
Recent research on air pollution indicates that the annual health impacts in the US from particulate air pollution attributable just to diesel exhaust from cars, trucks, and construction equipment includes 21,000 premature deaths and 27,000 non-fatal myocardial infarctions, plus a range of other impacts. 25 June 2005. More...
Even at levels considered safe by the U.S. EPA, exposure very early in development to lawn care and farm chemicals resulted in serious developmental injury to mouse embryos.
All but one of the 13 chemicals tested individually on pre-implantation mouse embryos impaired normal development. All 6 mixtures created to resemble environmentally- realistic mixtures caused damage. 23 August 2004. More...
A study by the State of California, finds prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke results in a slightly lower age for the onset of puberty.
Girls with both high prenatal and childhood passive smoke exposure had their first menstrual period about 4 months earlier than those unexposed. Mothers who consumed tea during pregnancy had daughters who underwent puberty a little later, although this difference was not stastically significant. THere was no association between the onset of puberty and coffee or alchol consumption. American Journal of Epidemiology 1 May 2004. More...
A study in Harlem finds that IPM is a cost effective intervention for cockroach control, without dangerous pesticides.
A study in east Harlem NY shows that over a six month period IPM can cut cockroach infestations dramatically, as or more cheaply than conventional chemical pesticide treatments. 3 July 2003. More...
Discovered to be a synthetic estrogen in the 1930's, bisphenol A is now used widely in consumer products.
Experiments with animals and cells now link it to a wide array of human health conditions. Epidemiological studies with people have barely begun, although exposure is virtually ubiquitous. 11 April 2003. More...
While the number of children with asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1980, the cause remains unknown.
In 2002, an estimated 30.8 million people in the United States had asthma diagnosed at some point in their life, including some 8.9 million children. 1 April 2003. More...
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