Plastic chemical linked to smaller prefrontal cortex, reduced cognitive ability in rats: Findings demonstrate long-term influence of endocrine-disrupting compounds on brain development -- ScienceDaily

Adult rats that had been exposed before birth and during nursing to a
mixture of chemicals (Phthalates) found in a wide range of consumer products have a
smaller medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and perform worse on an
attention-switching task than rats not exposed to the chemicals early in
life. These findings, published in JNeurosci, demonstrate a long-term influence of endocrine-disrupting compounds on brain development.



Daniel G. Kougias, Elli P. Sellinger, Jari Willing, Janice M. Juraska. Perinatal
exposure to an environmentally relevant mixture of phthalates results
in a lower number of neurons and synapses in the medial prefrontal
cortex and decreased cognitive flexibility in adult male and female rats. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2018; 0607-18 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0607-18.2018

Minimizing exposure to common hormone-disrupting chemicals may reduce obesity rates -- ScienceDaily

Everyday products carry environmental chemicals that may be making us
fat by interfering with our hormones, according to research presented in
Barcelona at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE
2018. Following recommendations on how to avoid these chemicals could
help minimise exposure and potentially reduce the risk of obesity and
its complications.

Brain development disorders in children linked to common environmental toxin exposures -- ScienceDaily

Exposures of pregnant women and children to common
thyroid-hormone-disrupting toxins may be linked to the increased
incidence of brain development disorders, according to a review
published in Endocrine Connections. The review describes how
numerous, common chemicals can interfere with normal thyroid hormone
actions, which are essential for normal brain development in foetuses
and young children, and suggests a need for greater public health
intervention.



Here's the paper from "Endocrine connections":-

Thyroid disrupting chemicals and brain development: an update

Researchers see popular herbicide (Atrazine) affecting health across generations

 First, the good news. Washington State University researchers have found that a rat exposed to a popular herbicide while in the womb developed no diseases and showed no apparent health effects aside from lower weight.
Now, the weird news. The grand-offspring of that rat did have more disease, as did a great-grand offspring third generation.

"The third generation had multiple diseases and much more frequently than the third generation of unexposed rats," said Michael Skinner, a Washington State University professor of biological sciences. At work, says Skinner, are epigenetic inheritance changes that turn genes on and off, often because of environmental influences.Writing this week in the journal PLOS ONE, Skinner reports exposing pregnant rats to atrazine, a commonly used herbicide on corn crops across the Midwest. Manufactured by Syngenta, the hormone-disrupting compound has been banned in Europe, where it was found contaminating water, while the Environmental Protection Agency permits its use in the U.S. It has been found in water systems serving 30 million Americans in 28 states, according to an Environmental Working Group survey of municipal water records.After Skinner and his colleagues exposed pregnant female rats to the herbicide, their first generation of offspring showed no ill effects but weighed less than rats in a control group. Rats bred from them had increased testis disease and altered sperm production, mammary tumors in both males and females, early-onset puberty in the males and lower-weight females. Their offspring—the great-grand offspring of the exposed rats—also had more testis disease, plus early onset puberty in females, hyperactivity and leaner male and female physiques.

When Skinner and his colleagues looked at sperm of the offspring, they found epimutations, or alterations in the methyl groups that stick to DNA and affect its activation.

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Related articles

• Burden of disease and costs of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in the European Union: an updated analysis. - PubMed - NCBI

Common antiseptic ingredients de-energize cells and impair hormone response

 "A new in-vitro study by University of California, Davis, researchers indicates that quaternary ammonium compounds, or "quats," used as antimicrobial agents in common household products inhibit mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, as well as estrogenic functions in cells. Their findings will appear online Aug. 22 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Quats are used as antiseptics in toothpastes, mouthwashes, lozenges, nasal sprays, eye drops, shampoos, lotions, intravaginal spermicidal sponges and household cleaners, to name a few.
"Disinfectants that we are putting on and in our bodies, and using in our environment, have been shown to inhibit mitochondrial energy production and the cellular estrogen response," said biochemist Gino Cortopassi in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "This raises concern because exposure to other mitochondrial-inhibiting drugs, such as rotenone and MPTP, is associated with increased risk for Parkinson's disease.""



Paper:-

In Vitro Evaluation of Mitochondrial Function and Estrogen Signaling in Cell Lines Exposed to the Antiseptic Cetylpyridinium Chloride

Environmental Health Perspectives – The Florence Statement on Triclosan and Triclocarban

The Florence Statement on Triclosan and Triclocarban documents a consensus of more than 200 scientists and medical professionals on the hazards of and lack of demonstrated benefit from common uses of triclosan and triclocarban. These chemicals may be used in thousands of personal care and consumer products as well as in building materials. Based on extensive peer-reviewed research, this statement concludes that triclosan and triclocarban are environmentally persistent endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in and are toxic to aquatic and other organisms. Evidence of other hazards to humans and ecosystems from triclosan and triclocarban is presented along with recommendations intended to prevent future harm from triclosan, triclocarban, and antimicrobial substances with similar properties and effects. Because antimicrobials can have unintended adverse health and environmental impacts, they should only be used when they provide an evidence-based health benefit. Greater transparency is needed in product formulations, and before an antimicrobial is incorporated into a product, the long-term health and ecological impacts should be evaluated. "



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Pyrethroid pesticide exposure appears to speed puberty in boys | Endocrine Society

Fluorene-9-bisphenol is anti-oestrogenic and may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in mice : Nature Communications

 Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in the production of plastic but has oestrogenic activity. Therefore, BPA substitutes, such as fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF), have been introduced for the production of so-called ‘BPA-free’ plastics. Here we show that BHPF is released from commercial ‘BPA-free’ plastic bottles into drinking water and has anti-oestrogenic effects in mice. We demonstrate that BHPF has anti-oestrogenic activity in vitro and, in an uterotrophic assay in mice, induces low uterine weight, atrophic endometria and causes adverse pregnancy outcomes, even at doses lower than those of BPA for which no observed adverse effect have been reported. Female mice given water containing BHPF released from plastic bottles, have detectable levels of BHPF in serum, low uterine weights and show decreased expressions of oestrogen-responsive genes. We also detect BHPF in the plasma of 7/100 individuals, who regularly drink water from plastic bottles. Our data suggest that BPA substitutes should be tested for anti-oestrogenic activity and call for further study of the toxicological effects of BHPF on human health."



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Autism genes are selectively targeted by environmental pollutants including pesticides, heavy metals, bisphenol A, phthalates and many others in food, cosmetics or household products

The increasing incidence of autism suggests a major environmental influence. Epidemiology has implicated many candidates and genetics many susceptibility genes. Gene/environment interactions in autism were analysed using 206 autism susceptibility genes (ASG's) from the Autworks database to interrogate ∼1 million chemical/gene interactions in the comparative toxicogenomics database. Any bias towards ASG's was statistically determined for each chemical. Many suspect compounds identified in epidemiology, including tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, pesticides, particulate matter, benzo(a)pyrene, heavy metals, valproate, acetaminophen, SSRI's, cocaine, bisphenol A, phthalates, polyhalogenated biphenyls, flame retardants, diesel constituents, terbutaline and oxytocin, inter alia showed a significant degree of bias towards ASG's, as did relevant endogenous agents (retinoids, sex steroids, thyroxine, melatonin, folate, dopamine, serotonin). Numerous other suspected endocrine disruptors (over 100) selectively targeted ASG's including paraquat, atrazine and other pesticides not yet studied in autism and many compounds used in food, cosmetics or household products, including tretinoin, soy phytoestrogens, aspartame, titanium dioxide and sodium fluoride. Autism polymorphisms influence the sensitivity to some of these chemicals and these same genes play an important role in barrier function and control of respiratory cilia sweeping particulate matter from the airways. Pesticides, heavy metals and pollutants also disrupt barrier and/or ciliary function, which is regulated by sex steroids and by bitter/sweet taste receptors. Further epidemiological studies and neurodevelopmental and behavioural research is warranted to determine the relevance of a large number of suspect candidates whose addition to the environment, household, food and cosmetics might be fuelling the autism epidemic in a gene-dependent manner.

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the USA: a population-based disease burden and cost analysis - The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology

Background
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) contribute to disease and dysfunction and incur high associated costs (>1% of the gross domestic product [GDP] in the European Union). Exposure to EDCs varies widely between the USA and Europe because of differences in regulations and, therefore, we aimed to quantify disease burdens and related economic costs to allow comparison.

Methods
We used existing models for assessing epidemiological and toxicological studies to reach consensus on probabilities of causation for 15 exposure–response relations between substances and disorders. We used Monte Carlo methods to produce realistic probability ranges for costs across the exposure–response relation, taking into account uncertainties. Estimates were made based on population and costs in the USA in 2010. Costs for the European Union were converted to US$ (€1=$1·33).

Findings
The disease costs of EDCs were much higher in the USA than in Europe ($340 billion [2·33% of GDP] vs $217 billion [1·28%]). The difference was driven mainly by intelligence quotient (IQ) points loss and intellectual disability due to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (11 million IQ points lost and 43 000 cases costing $266 billion in the USA vs 873 000 IQ points lost and 3290 cases costing $12·6 billion in the European Union). Accounting for probability of causation, in the European Union, organophosphate pesticides were the largest contributor to costs associated with EDC exposure ($121 billion), whereas in the USA costs due to pesticides were much lower ($42 billion).

 Interpretation
EDC exposure in the USA contributes to disease and dysfunction, with annual costs taking up more than 2% of the GDP. Differences from the European Union suggest the need for improved screening for chemical disruption to endocrine systems and proactive prevention."





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Chemical exposure linked to lower vitamin D levels

 Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may reduce levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Related articles

• BPA substitute in food packaging triggers fat cell formation

Fracking chemicals exposure may harm fertility in female mice

"The study was the first to find a link between chemical exposure and adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes in female mice. Scientists exposed the mice to 23 chemicals commonly used in fracking, as well as oil and gas development, to study their effects on key hormones.
Researchers have previously found that these chemicals are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that mimic or block the body's hormones—the chemical messengers that regulate respiration, reproduction, metabolism, growth and other biological functions. More than 1,300 studies have found links between EDCs and serious health conditions such as infertility, diabetes, obesity, hormone-related cancers and neurological disorders, according to the Endocrine Society's 2015 Scientific Statement."

The barrier, airway particle clearance, placental and detoxification functions of autism susceptibility genes

Even taking problems of diagnosis into account, a five-fold increase in the incidence of autism in recent decades, in the absence of any known changes in the human gene pool suggests a strong environmental influence. Numerous pollutants have been implicated in epidemiological studies, including pesticides, heavy metals, industrial solvents, air pollutants, particulate matter, bisphenol A, phthalates and flame retardants. Many genes have been implicated in autism, some of which are directly related to detoxification processes. Many are also expressed prenatally in the frontal cortex when the effects of such toxins on neurodevelopment are most relevant. To gain access to the foetal brain, toxins must pass placental and blood/brain barriers and access to maternal or children's blood necessitates passage across skin, airway and intestinal barriers. Literature survey of a subset of 206 genes, defined as prime autism susceptibility candidates from an Autworks/Genotator analysis, revealed that most could be related to barrier function at blood/brain, skin, intestinal, placental or other interfaces. These genes were highly enriched in proteome datasets from blood/brain and placental trophoblast barriers and many localised to skin, intestinal, lung, umbilical and placental compartments. Many were also components of the exosomal/transcytosis pathway that is involved in the transfer of compounds across cells themselves, rather than between them. Several are involved in the control of respiratory cilia that sweep mucus and noxious particles from the airways. A key role of autism susceptibility genes may thus relate to their ability to modulate the access of numerous toxins to children, and adults and, during gestation, to the developing foetal brain.

Bisphenol A in low doses can affect the reproductive system , obesity, and behaviour

"If rats are exposed to bisphenol A in low doses during early development it can lead to reduced sperm count, obesity and changes to breast development and behaviour. These are some of the findings of a new study from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. The results support previous animal studies, which have shown that low doses of bisphenol A can affect development of the metabolism as well as the reproductive and nervous systems."



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Burden of disease and costs of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in the European Union: an updated analysis. - PubMed - NCBI

A previous report documented that endocrine disrupting chemicals contribute substantially to certain forms of disease and disability. In the present analysis, our main objective was to update a range of health and economic costs that can be reasonably attributed to endocrine disrupting chemical exposures in the European Union, leveraging new burden and disease cost estimates of female reproductive conditions from accompanying report. Expert panels evaluated the epidemiologic evidence, using adapted criteria from the WHO Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group, and evaluated laboratory and animal evidence of endocrine disruption using definitions recently promulgated by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. The Delphi method was used to make decisions on the strength of the data. Expert panels consensus was achieved for probable (>20%) endocrine disrupting chemical causation for IQ loss and associated intellectual disability; autism; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; endometriosis; fibroids; childhood obesity; adult obesity; adult diabetes; cryptorchidism; male infertility, and mortality associated with reduced testosterone. Accounting for probability of causation, and using the midpoint of each range for probability of causation, Monte Carlo simulations produced a median annual cost of €163 billion (1.28% of EU Gross Domestic Product) across 1000 simulations. We conclude that endocrine disrupting chemical exposures in the EU are likely to contribute substantially to disease and dysfunction across the life course with costs in the hundreds of billions of Euros per year. These estimates represent only those endocrine disrupting chemicals with the highest probability of causation; a broader analysis would have produced greater estimates of burden of disease and costs.



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Toxins found in fracking fluids and wastewater, study shows -- ScienceDaily

"In an analysis of more than 1,000 chemicals in fluids used in and created by hydraulic fracturing (fracking), researchers found that many of the substances have been linked to reproductive and developmental health problems, and the majority had undetermined toxicity due to insufficient information."
157 of them -- chemicals such as arsenic, benzene, cadmium, lead, formaldehyde, chlorine, and mercury -- were associated with either developmental or reproductive toxicity. Of these, 67 chemicals were of particular concern because they had an existing federal health-based standard or guideline, said the scientists, adding that data on whether levels of chemicals exceeded the guidelines were too limited to assess.



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Chemical exposure linked to rising diabetes, obesity risk

Chemical exposure linked to rising diabetes, obesity risk: "Emerging evidence ties endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure to two of the biggest public health threats facing society - diabetes and obesity, according to the executive summary of an upcoming Scientific Statement issued today by the Endocrine Society."

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics opinion on reproductive health impacts of exposure to toxic environmental chemicals - International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics

"Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals during pregnancy and breastfeeding is ubiquitous and is a threat to healthy human reproduction. There are tens of thousands of chemicals in global commerce, and even small exposures to toxic chemicals during pregnancy can trigger adverse health consequences. Exposure to toxic environmental chemicals and related health outcomes are inequitably distributed within and between countries; universally, the consequences of exposure are disproportionately borne by people with low incomes. Discrimination, other social factors, economic factors, and occupation impact risk of exposure and harm. Documented links between prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals and adverse health outcomes span the life course and include impacts on fertility and pregnancy, neurodevelopment, and cancer. The global health and economic burden related to toxic environmental chemicals is in excess of millions of deaths and billions of dollars every year. On the basis of accumulating robust evidence of exposures and adverse health impacts related to toxic environmental chemicals, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) joins other leading reproductive health professional societies in calling for timely action to prevent harm. FIGO recommends that reproductive and other health professionals advocate for policies to prevent exposure to toxic environmental chemicals, work to ensure a healthy food system for all, make environmental health part of health care, and champion environmental justice."



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Chemical exposure linked to rising diabetes, obesity risk

Emerging evidence ties endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure to two of the biggest public health threats facing society - diabetes and obesity, according to the executive summary of an upcoming Scientific Statement issued today by the Endocrine Society.

EDCs contribute to health problems by mimicking, blocking or otherwise interfering with the body's natural hormones. By hijacking the body's chemical messengers, EDCs can alter the way cells develop and grow.

Known EDCs include bisphenol A (BPA) found in food can linings and cash register receipts, phthalates found in plastics and cosmetics, flame retardants and pesticides. The chemicals are so common that nearly every person on Earth has been exposed to one or more. An economic analysis published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in March estimated that EDC exposure likely costs the European Union €157 billion ($209 billion) a year in actual health care expenses and lost earning potential.

Epigenetic Programming by Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

The ‘developmental origins of adult health and disease’ (DOHaD) hypothesis postulates that adverse influences early in development can program the risks for adverse health outcomes in adult life. In modern societies, exposure to man-made environmental contaminants is a potential risk factor for developmental programming of chronic disease. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are of specific concern. EDCs act by mimicking or inhibiting the actions of endogenous hormones, and can have estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, or even anti-androgenic activity. Most EDCs are synthetic chemicals that enter the environment and persist for long periods of time. Among them are many substances that are in widespread use, including dioxin, plastic-softening chemicals, agricultural pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, industrial solvents, and pharmaceuticals. Some evidence suggest that exposure to EDCs during early development can cause long-term health outcomes via mechanisms of epigenetic memory.