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Current query:Type: Scientific Studies
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German researchers report more evidence of another risk factor for developing type II diabetes: traffic related air pollution. After following a group of middle-aged women for 16 years, the authors find that exposure to high levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes in later years.
Women with high serum levels of a protein by-product associated with low-level inflammation or infection, were particularly prone to developing diabetes in response to pollutants. 15 July 2010. More...
Two new studies show remarkably high levels of PBDE flame retardants in the bodies of California children.
PBDE body burden levels in two separate populations of California children were 10 to 1,000 times higher than European children, 2 to 10 times higher than other U.S. children and adults, and approached levels measured in occupationally-exposed adults. 3 May 2010. More...
A study of children born near a PCB-contaminated harbor in Massachusetts finds that prenatal exposure to banned persistent organic pollutants - specifically PCBs and DDE - may be linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The results are consistent with previous human and animal studies that have found links between PCB levels and ADHD-like behaviors, such as inattention and impulsivity. This may be the first time the behaviors are associated with DDE exposure. 20 April 2010. More...
Researchers have found that the extent of harm caused by certain common compounds could be influenced by a person’s genes and lifestyle. Two people exposed to the same amount of a chemical could have different levels in their blood and respond differently.
The study looked at seven elements, which included arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc. Test subjects included 2,926 adult Australian twins. 16 March 2010. More...
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...
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...
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...
People who eat meat and poultry have significantly higher levels of common flame retardants compared to vegetarians.
The findings indicate that food may be a more important source of the contaminants, known as PBDEs, than previously thought. 22 July 2009. More...
People living close to highways, large roads or other sources of high levels of traffic-related air pollution die earlier than those farther away, finds a study conducted in Toronto, Ontario.
People with higher exposure to pollution from traffic were 20 percent more likely to die at any given time than those with low levels of exposure. The greatest risk appears to be death from heart disease. People with high exposure to traffic pollution showed a 40 percent increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. 3 February 2009. 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...
Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may lower a child's intelligence at age nine by several points, a study from Oswego, New York, finds.
The pre-teen children whose mothers were highly exposed to PCBs during pregnancy scored lower in general and verbal IQ tests than those born to mothers who were mildly exposed. The findings support other human studies that suggest exposure to these persistent chemicals disrupts early childhood mental development. 27 October 2008. More...
In the first prospective study exploring how fetal exposures may affect the risk of childhood obesity, scientists from Spain report that children born to mothers with higher levels of the pesticide hexachlorobenzene in cord blood were significantly more likely to be overweight and obese by the age of six.
These results add to growing evidence that fetal exposure to contaminants can interfere with hormonal mechanisms that control weight later in life, thereby contributing to the world-wide epidemic of metabolic disorder. 22 August 2008. More...
Pregnant women exposed to household pesticides may increase the risk of their children developing leukemia, according to a recent study conducted in France.
In the study, parents of leukemia patients were more likely to have used pesticides and insecticides either at home or at work. Exposure to these chemicals is a risk factor for blood cancers, particularly if children are exposed in the womb, the authors' conclude. 5 February 2008. More...
Three years after a year-long education effort to promote a healthy diet and discourage consumption of carbonated drinks, researchers found no effect on how many children were overweight.
The number of overweight children had increased in both the control and experimental groups. British Medical Journal. 10 October 2007. More...
Chinese children drinking well water with very high levels of fluoride scored poorly on intelligence testing compared to those with lower exposures.
More information is needed to ascertain if the sum total amount of ingested fluoride from tap water, consumer products and other sources are enough to inhibit brain development in children living in the US and other countries where fluoridation is common. 5 July 2007. More...
Could lead poisoning contribute to asthma and other allergic diseases?
Experiments with cells in the immune system of mice--which are hypersensitized by lead-- provide support for this hypothesis. 25 June 2007. More...
Scientists report that almost all babies measured in a large study in Baltimore had been exposed to perfluorinated contaminants -- PFCs -- while in the womb.
PFCs are widely used in consumer products like Teflon and Gore-Tex. They are extremely persistent. The levels observed were well beneath those shown in most experiments to be necessary to cause developmental harm in animals. 23 April 2007. More...
In a study of over 1,000 women, mothers who gave birth very prematurely were three times more likely to have high levels of mercury.
Their mercury exposure was linked to fish consumption. Women who ate more fish had higher mercury levels. This research suggests the benefits of consuming omega-3 fatty acids for infant development may need to be balanced against the health consequences of premature birth. 4 April 2007. More...
All teen pregnancies are at risk for adverse birth outcomes.
Preterm delivery, low birth weight, and neonatal mortality occur at higher rates in teen pregnancies regardless of socio-economic status, level of pre-natal care and amount of weight gain. This finding challenges commonly accepted assumptions about teen pregnancy outcomes. International Journal of Epidemiology. 1 April 2007. More...
People living closer to hazardous waste sites containing persistent organic pollutants are more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes.
The results are consistent with other epidemiological research showing association between exposure to POPs and diabetes. The risk was higher in a subset of sites along the Hudson River, where there was higher income, less smoking, better diet and more exercise. 6 January 2007. More...
A systematic review of all observational studies of lead and cardiovascular disease concludes that lead exposure can cause high blood pressure.
The evidence also suggests-- but is insufficient to prove-- that lead exposure causes cardiovascular mortality and other health problems. as well as heart rate variability. The authors conclude that occupational lead exposure standards should be lowered immediately. Environmental Health Perspectives. 25 December 2006. More...
Six case-control studies by the same team of Swedish epidemiologists consistently found an increased risk of brain tumors associated with cell phone and cordless phone use.
Odds ratios ranged from 1.3 to 6.1, depending upon tumor type and phone technology, with confidence limits showing statistical significance. No consistent associations were found for salivary gland tumors, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or testicular cancer. World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 25 October 2006. More...
Dioxin levels were higher in pregnant women who lived longer near the site of a former pentachlorophenol manufacturing plant in Taiwan.
Those living in the area more than 3 years had dioxin levels over 40% higher than those who had been there less time. Dioxin-like PCBs were almost 80% higher. Chemosphere. 22 October 2006. More...
Smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy increases stillbirth risk, according to a cohort study in Mumbai, India.
The increase in risk is at least as great as that associated with maternal cigarette smoking. Adjusting for multiple variables, the risk for users was increased 2.6 fold, and greater in earlier gestational ages. Epidemiology. 26 December 2005. More...
Science Byte: North Carolina children are more likely to be exposed in school to pollution arising from large hog farms if they are poor and not white.
Odor from livestock was noticeable outside 21% of schools sampled, and inside 8% of them. Livestock odors at public schools, particularly those in economically disadvantaged areas, may have broad implications for schools and communities. EHP. 10 November 2005. More...
A new assessment concludes that a larger portion of human infertility may be caused by environmental exposures than thought possible even a decade ago.
Laboratory data demonstrate conclusively that some contaminants can impair fertility in animals at levels to which people are commonly exposed. While it is well established that high levels of some contaminants can cause infertility, very few human data are available on the impacts of contaminants known to cause impacts at low-levels in animals. 31 October 2005. More...
While testicular cancer is rare, it is the most common malignancy among young men, and it has been increasing since the middle of the 20th century in many western countries.
Most known risk factors are related to early life events, including cryptorchidism and in utero exposure to estrogens. Lifestyle and occupational exposures later in life may play a role in promoting the disease, but are not likely to initiate it. Int. Journal of Cancer. 30 June 2005. More...
Preterm birth is linked to air pollution in the Los Angeles basin.
Mothers living in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty, unemployment and dependence on public assistance are at disproportionately high risk. Winter season increased susceptibility further. American Journal of Epidemiology 30 June 2005. More...
Scientists from Johns Hopkins University review the state of science on environmental interactions with pregnancy outcomes.
Communities of color and poverty are exposed more often and more intensively to such environmental hazards as lead, air pollution, agrochemicals, incinerator emissions, and releases from hazardous waste sites. Thus, exposures to these toxicants may explain part of the socioeconomic disparity that is observed in terms of risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Although genetics greatly influences reproduction and development outcomes, the genetic-environmental interaction is what determines a healthy or adverse outcome. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1 May 2005. More...
Science Byte: A study in Maryland reports that African American and poor neighborhoods are much more likely to be high risk zones for airborn cancer risks than white, economically-advantaged neighborhoods.
Comparing across census tracts, as the proportion of white residents increased, airborne cancer risks decreased. Approximately half of the cancer risk was associated with vehicle emissions. EHP. 15 March 2005. More...
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