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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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The persistent, environmentally ubiquitous organotin compound tributyltin perturbs key genetic regulators of weight control in mice following in utero exposure, leading to striking fat accumulations later in life.
TBT also causes ectopic adipocytes in the amphibian, Xenopus. These results indicate that developmental or chronic exposure to organotins may contribute to obesity and related disorders. Molecular Endocrinology 28 August 2006. More...
In experiments with human breast cancer cells, the behavior of more than 300 genes were altered more than 2-fold by either or both bisphenol A and estradiol.
Several genes key for growth and development were changed only by BPA. These data indicate that BPA's effect on sexual development will be similar to, but also different from, effects of estrogen. Environmental Research. 27 July 2005. More...
Science Byte: While first focused on the effects of estrogen mimics, research on endocrine disruption emerging over the past decade has shown many other molecular signaling pathways are also vulnerable to disruption, via several different mechanisms.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can alter gene expression by activating or antagonizing nuclear hormone receptors, by altering degradation of hormone receptors, and by changing the sensitivity to hormone signaling. Some EDCs alter DNA methylation. Others change lipid metabolism and may contribute to the obesity epidemic. Molecular Endocrinology. 24 July 2005. More...
New research findings suggest that low-level exposure to PCBs can alter menstrual function.
This cohort study from the 1960s found pregnant women with higher blood PCB levels tended to have a history of slightly longer menstrual cycles. The difference in cycle length between women with the highest and lowest PCB levels amounted to less than one day. The findings show that women's menstrual cycles could serve as markers of the potential biological effects of endocrine disruptors. Women with the highest PCB levels were also somewhat more likely to report having irregular periods. Epidemiology 1 March 2005. More...
A study of women exposed to historically high levels of DDT have higher incidence of pregnancy loss.
Women exposed to DDT between 1959 and 1965 were found to have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion with increasing blood levels of DDE. Up to 60 ppm there was a dose-response effect. These results are consistent with other studies on DDE and pregnancy loss. Environmental Research 1 February 2005. More...
Japanese study finds bisphenol A (BPA) exposure begins early in life.
BPA was found in the fluid of developing oocytes at levels similar to those found in blood, as well as in fetal serum and full-term amniotic fluid, confirming passage through the placenta. Serum BPA concentrations were significantly higher in normal men and in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared with normal women possibly due to differences in the androgen-related metabolism of BPA. The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology. 1 February 2005. More...
A European group reviews the epidemiological evidence on the reproductive toxicity of persistent organochlorines.
Scientific studies indicate that high concentrations of persistent organochlorines may adversely affect semen quality and cause testicular cancer in males, induce menstrual cycle abnormalities and spontaneous abortions in females, and cause prolonged waiting time pregnancy, reduced birth weight, skewed sex ratio, and altered age of sexual development. However, most effects have been demonstrated at exposure levels above the present day exposure level in European and North American populations. Reproductive Toxicology 1 November 2004. More...
A study of Michigan women finds exposure to tobacco smoke, but not PBBs or PCBs is associated with endometriosis.
PCB and PBB measurements were taken between 1976-1978, a time with exposure to these chemicals was relatively high. Neither was associated with endometriosis. Consistent with findings from previous studies, woman who were smokers were 2 times more likely to undergo menopause at an earlier age than non-smokers. Maturitas. 15 October 2004. More...
A review from the University of Edinburgh summarizes the effects of season, modern lifestyles and environmental chemicals on human fertility, and discusses the implications of these effects for future generations.
Smoking and diet are well known to affect fertility but emerging evidence indicates that enviromental exposures, especially to POPS, are also important causes of infertility. Increasingly, gene-environment interactions are being recognized and better understood. Nature Cell Biology 1 October 2004. More...
Swedish women who consume large amounts of fatty fish from the Baltic Sea have shorter menstrual cycles.
Fatty fish are a major exposure route to persistent organochlorine compounds. Compared to women who do not consume these fish, menstrual cycles were an average half day shorter. These results are not conclusive but have similar findings as previous studies. Averaged over a population, these shorter menstrual cycles could result in lower fertility rates. Chemosphere. 1 August 2004. More...
A review of the scientific evidence demonstrates that employment in agriculture is associated with a number of adverse reproductive event.
The epidemiological studies presented in this paper refer to the association between agricultural occupation of parents and the incidence of infertility, congenital malformations, miscarriage, low birthweight, small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth, preterm delivery and stillbirth.The literature review suggests a great need to increase awareness of workers who are occupationally exposed to pesticides about their potential negative influence on fertility and pregnancy outcome. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. 1 February 2004. More...
Analysis of women from North Carolina finds exposure to organochlorines is weaky associated with an earlier onset of menopause.
Although, the result was not statistically significant, there was approximately a one-year difference between the age at menopause for women with the highest DDE category and the lowest DDE category. There was no association with PCB exposure. This study was limited by a 20-year gap between the onset of menopause and measurement of organochlorine levels for up to 25% of the subjects. Epidemiology 1 November 2002. More...
Scientists review and summarize the evidence to date on the effects of endocrine disuptors in the ovary.
There are a number of potential targets for endocrine disruptin chemicals (EDCs) in the ovary. EDCs may be acting as estrogen mimics, interfering with apoptosis, altering cell signaling pathways, or affecting estrogen metabolism. Frontiers in Bioscience 1 September 2002. More...
Naturally occurring plant based estrogens shown in lab studies to have unique endocrine disrupting effects.
This study describes a novel assay for determining the ability of a compound to both mimic estrogen and to decrease estrogen production. It shows for the first time that plant-based estrogens (phytoestrogens) at low doses inhibited the aromatase enzyme, thereby decreasing estrogen levels, and at high doses mimicked estrogen. These effects are unique and distinguish phytoestrogens from other endocrine disrupting synthetic chemicals and may help explain why phytoestrogens are protective against breast cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives 1 August 2002. More...
A study of women living in Filipino farming households finds regular use of pesticides is associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Compared to farmers who used pesticides only when necessary, farming household that regularly used pesticides were 6 times more likely to have a miscarriage and 4.5 times more likely to have a baby with a birth defect. International Journal Occupational Environmental Health. 1 July 2002. More...
A case-control study of Chinese textile workers finds higher blood levels of DDE in women who have miscarriages.
There was a linear dose-response effect, with each ppb increase in serum DDE level increasing the risk of miscarriage by 13%. Other studies have found similar results, especially with high blood levels of DDT and its metabolites. Annals of Epidemiology 1 October 2001. More...
Review of data from 1953 reveals that DES treatment did not prevent miscarriage.
This classic letter published in 1978 in Lancet reviewed data from pregnant women taking DES. In addition to failling to prevent miscarriage, DES may have actually increased the incidence of pregnancy loss. Despite the knowledge in 1953 that DES didn't work as intended and was known to cause reproductive problems in animals, it continued to be prescribed for another 20 years until 1971. Lancet. 2 September 2001. More...
New research determines the mechanism by which tobacco smoke causes premature ovarian failure.
In mice exposed to PAHs, activation of the Ah receptor initiates a cascade of effects resulting in the activation of a gene called Bax. Bax then causes oocytes to undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Interestingly, dioxin which also binds to the Ah receptor does not cause activation of Bax and therefore is not cytotoxic to oocytes. Nature Genetics 25 August 2001. More...
Ontario male farmers exposed to pesticides father pregnancies at risk for preterm delivery and miscarriage.
Mixing or applying herbicides was associated with a two fold increase in preterm delivery. Miscarriage was associated with use of thiocarbamates, carbaryl and unclassified pesticides. There was no association between pesticides and delayed fetal growth or altered sex ratios. American Journal of Epidemiology 15 December 2000. More...
Danish scientists report that sperm quality and sex hormones are altered in a small sample of men exposed to pesticides at work in greenhouses.
Sperm count was 60% lower in the high exposure group compared to the low group, and the proportion of normal sperm was reduced by 14%. Sperm concentration was also lower in men who had worked in greenhouses for more than 10 years. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 1 December 2000. More...
Study reviews the toxicity of a potent male reproductive toxin, the pesticide DBCP, and warns of simliar effects from other unidentified agents.
DBCP was associated with a number of male reproductive abnormalities, including reduced sperm counts, infertility, hormonal changes, and changes in sex ratios. The lessons learned from DBCP include a) parental exposures to reproductive toxins can lead to a number of adverse effects including infertility and shifts in sex ratios. Annals of the New York Academy of Science 1 December 2000. More...
A review of the scientific evidence on the links between environmental exposures and infertility.
Several studies have shown environmental exposures to chlorinate hydrocarbons and solvents are associated with impaired fertility, miscarriage and endometriosis. This historical review finds positive but weak associations and notes that many of the studies were limited by small sample size, poor outcome or exposure measurements, or biases in recruitment or recall. Clinical Obstetritics and Gynecology 1 December 2000. More...
State of California researchers find women who drink alcohol during pregnancy are more likely to have a miscarriage.
Women who drank more than 3 drinks per week during the first trimester were twice as likely to have a miscarriage. It was 4-fold more likely to occur if exposure was in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Consumption of alcohol before pregnancy was not strongly associated with pregnancy loss. Epidemiology 26 September 2000. More...
New evidence indicates that exposure to low-moderate levels of lead is associated with an increased rate of pregnancy loss.
Past studies have confirmed that exposure to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage. This study of pregnant women in Mexico City finds almost a 2-fold increased risk of miscarriage for each 5 microg/dL increase in serum lead. The levels of lead found in this study were 10-25 microg/dL, a level that many people in the developing world continue to be exposed to. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 1 September 2000. More...
Researchers from the State of California confirm that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke affects infant health.
Pregnant mothers who smoke more than 10 cigarettes per day are more likely to have infants with low birth weight or to have preterm delivery. Mothers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke for more than 7 hours per day are over 2-fold more likely to have a delivery very early, at less than 35 weeks. These associations were generally greater among non-whites than whites. Epidemiology 1 July 2000. More...
Many potential reproductive toxins are encountered in the work environment.
This article reviews many of the classic reproductive toxins identified in the 1970s and 1980s.Associated health effects include infertility, adverse birth outcomes and birth defects. Many of the compounds reviewed continue to be problematic today. Family & community Health. 30 May 2000. More...
Women exposed to pesticides while working in greenhouses may have harder time getting pregnant, according to a Danish study.
The women who sprayed pesticides or handled plants that had been treated with pesticides were less likely to get pregnant than other garden workers who were not exposed. These results were not statistically significant, however, and were only suggestive of an association. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 1 April 2000. More...
Organic solvents used in the semiconductor industry are associated with miscarriage and reduced fertility.
Women with the highest exposures to ethylene glycol ethers had nearly a 3-fold higher risk of spontaneous abortion and a 4-fold higher risk of subfertility. These results are consistent with animal studies. American Journal of Epidemiology 1 April 2000. More...
State of California researchers find occupational exposure to solvents is associated with miscarriage.
Workplace exposure to perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene or paint thinners was associated with at least a 2-fold increase in miscarriage. This and other studies continue to confirm that exposures to solvents during pregnancy are associated with pregnancy loss. Amerian Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2 February 2000. More...
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