scholarly journals Endocrine-Disrupting Air Pollutants and Their Effects on the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9191
Author(s):  
Elizabeth C. Plunk ◽  
Sean M. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Hpg Axis ◽  
Subsequent Fertility ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Receptor Interactions ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Exposure Routes ◽  
Cadmium And Lead

Anthropogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can contaminate air, soil, and water. Human exposures to EDCs occur through inhalation, absorption, and ingestion. EDCs act by disrupting various pathways in the endocrine system. When the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis is disrupted by EDCs, there can be effects on fertility in both men and women. Not only can fertility be indirectly affected by EDC disruptions of the HPG axis, but EDCs can also directly affect the menstrual cycle and sperm morphology. In this review, we will discuss the current findings on EDCs that can be inhaled. This review examines effects of exposure to prominent EDCs: brominated and organophosphate flame retardants, diesel exhaust, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cadmium and lead, TCDD, and polychlorinated biphenyls on fertility through alterations that disrupt the HPG axis and fertility through inhalation. Although the studies included herein include multiple exposure routes, all the studies indicate receptor interactions that can occur from inhalation and the associated effects of all compounds on the HPG axis and subsequent fertility.

scholarly journals Endocrine disrupting chemicals vs longevity in the COVID-19 era: Public health implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
Evangelos Polychronopoulos ◽  
George Balias ◽  
Maria Skouroliakou ◽  
Chrysa Kapartziani ◽  
Paraskevi Kalofiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Health Circles ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Health Organization

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a controversial topic within scientific, regulatory, socio-economic, and public health circles. Nonetheless, every community's physical environment is currently under siege from various EDCs, many of which are still unknown. EDCs affect the normal function of the endocrine, neurological, and immune systems, consequently diminishing successful development, reproductive adulthood, and decreasing survival. Beyond any doubt, adverse effects of EDCs are a consequence of multiple everyday exposures to hundreds of chemicals in unknown environmental doses such as pesticides, insecticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, brominated flame retardants, and parabens. Considering that thousands of other known endocrine disruptors fly under the radar of scientific and medical communities due to existing methodological pitfalls, the situation is quite precarious. In 2012, the World Health Organization published a report emphasizing that EDCs are a major and emerging global public health threat. The combined power of informed consumers, industry innovations, and government regulations is the driving force in this fight. Therefore, research advancements, public health infrastructure, and environmental protection agencies are the fundamental pillars in combating the ever-growing issue of EDCs.

scholarly journals Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Current Understanding, New Testing Strategies and Future Research Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 933
Author(s):  
Maria E. Street ◽  
Karine Audouze ◽  
Juliette Legler ◽  
Hideko Sone ◽  
Paola Palanza
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Developmental Origins ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Important Class ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Health And Disease

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous chemicals which can disrupt any action of the endocrine system, and are an important class of substances which play a role in the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) [...]

scholarly journals Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Thyroid Cancer: An Overview

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Mathilda Alsen ◽  
Catherine Sinclair ◽  
Peter Cooke ◽  
Kimia Ziadkhanpour ◽  
Eric Genden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
National Institutes Of Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
National Library ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Carcinogenic Effect ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

Endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDC) are known to alter thyroid function and have been associated with increased risk of certain cancers. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of available studies on the association between EDC exposure and thyroid cancer. Relevant studies were identified via a literature search in the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health PubMed as well as a review of reference lists of all retrieved articles and of previously published relevant reviews. Overall, the current literature suggests that exposure to certain congeners of flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and phthalates as well as certain pesticides may potentially be associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer. However, future research is urgently needed to evaluate the different EDCs and their potential carcinogenic effect on the thyroid gland in humans as most EDCs have been studied sporadically and results are not consistent.

scholarly journals Endocrine System and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals(EDCs).

2001 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
R. Yoshiyuki Osamura ◽  
Toshiki Iwasaka ◽  
Shinobu Umemura
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

scholarly journals Epigenetic modifications associated with in utero exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals BPA, DDT and Pb

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinonye Doris Onuzulu ◽  
Oluwakemi Anuoluwapo Rotimi ◽  
Solomon Oladapo Rotimi
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disruptors ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Non Coding Rnas ◽  
Hormone System ◽  
Developmental Windows

Abstract Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are xenobiotics which adversely modify the hormone system. The endocrine system is most vulnerable to assaults by endocrine disruptors during the prenatal and early development window, and effects may persist into adulthood and across generations. The prenatal stage is a period of vulnerability to environmental chemicals because the epigenome is usually reprogrammed during this period. Bisphenol A (BPA), lead (Pb), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were chosen for critical review because they have become serious public health concerns globally, especially in Africa where they are widely used without any regulation. In this review, we introduce EDCs and describe the various modes of action of EDCs and the importance of the prenatal and developmental windows to EDC exposure. We give a brief overview of epigenetics and describe the various epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNAs, and how each of them affects gene expression. We then summarize findings from previous studies on the effects of prenatal exposure to the endocrine disruptors BPA, Pb and DDT on each of the previously described epigenetic mechanisms. We also discuss how the epigenetic alterations caused by these EDCs may be related to disease processes.

scholarly journals Assessing exposure of young children to common endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the home environment: a review and commentary of the questionnaire-based approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin English ◽  
Bridget Healy ◽  
Paul Jagals ◽  
Peter D. Sly
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Improved Methods ◽  
Infants And Young Children

AbstractAlthough infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure, there is an absence of comprehensive exposure data for this age group. As young children spend the majority of their time indoors, improved methods of exposure assessment are needed to characterise the health risks from exposures in the home environment. Biologic assessment, which has been considered the gold standard for exposure assessment in recent years, is difficult to conduct in young children. Questionnaires are an alternative and indirect method of predicting exposure, which may overcome some of the limitations of direct exposure assessment.The feasibility of using a questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of young children to EDCs in the home has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, there is no one questionnaire that has been validated for predicting the exposure of infants to common EDCs in the home.The aim of this review is to discuss the use and validation of the questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of children to chemicals from three common classes of EDCs in the home, namely, plasticisers, flame retardants, and insecticides. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the questionnaire-based approach as well as the important pathways of exposure in the home environment, by which to guide the design and validation of future exposure questionnaires.The findings from our review indicate that the questionnaire-based approach is a valuable tool in the prediction of exposure to persistent organic pollutants, as well as to toxicants that have consistent patterns of exposure. With improvements to the design and validation process, the questionnaire-based approach may also prove to be a reliable instrument in predicting exposure to EDCs with short-half lives, including bisphenol A, phthalates, and pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides.

Effect of wastewater chlorination on endocrine disruptor removal

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (7) ◽  
pp. 1551-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Noutsopoulos ◽  
D. Mamais ◽  
V. Samaras ◽  
T. Bouras ◽  
M. Marneri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Secondary Effluent ◽  
Batch Tests ◽  
Toxic Metabolites ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Water Courses ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds of mainly anthropogenic origin that interfere with the endocrine system of animals and humans thus causing a series of disorders. Wastewater treatment plants are one of the major routes for transporting such chemicals to the water courses. In the context of this study, several chlorination batch tests were performed in order to assess the effectiveness of chlorination to remove bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), nonylphenol (NP) and its ethoxylates (NP1EO and NP2EO) from secondary effluent. According to the results, an appreciable removal of NP, BPA and TCS to the order of 60–84% was observed as an effect of moderate chlorination doses. This was not the case for NP1EO and NP2EO as even at high chlorine doses, removal efficiencies were lower (37% for NP1EO and 52% for NP2EO). Removal efficiencies of NP, BPA and TCS are practically independent of contact time, although this was not the case for NP1EO and NP2EO. Based on toxicity experiments, it is anticipated that following chlorination of the target chemicals, production of more toxic metabolites is taking place. Therefore the effectiveness of chlorination to remove EDCs is questionable and more research is needed to guarantee safe wastewater reuse.

The effects of UV-B radiation and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on the biology of amphibians

2001 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Crump
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Reproductive Toxicity ◽  
Abnormal Development ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The 1960S

Statistical meta-analysis of large and diverse data sets has indicated that amphibians have been declining worldwide since the 1960s. Exposure to UV-B radiation (280–320 nm) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been considered as possible hypotheses to explain the observed declines. Equivocal conclusions have been reached with respect to the effects of UV-B on amphibian populations. Field and laboratory studies employing both ecologically relevant and enhanced UV-B levels have been conducted using a variety of amphibian species and reports differ with respect to the most sensitive developmental stage and the ultimate implications. UV-B radiation has also been shown to interact with other stressors (e.g., pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, low pH) resulting in decreased survivorship for several amphibian species. Limited evidence of reproductive toxicity of xenobiotics in amphibians exist; however, early exposure to EDCs could cause abnormal development of the amphibian reproductive system, inhibit vital hormone messages that drive metamorphosis, and ultimately contribute to the decline of some amphibian populations. The available evidence suggests that more than one agent is contributing to amphibian population declines and the following review narrows the focus to address the existing data on the effects of UV-B, alone and in combination with other stressors, and EDCs on amphibian survivorship and development. Key words: amphibians, UV-B radiation, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, declines, review.

Interactions of endocrine-disrupting chemicals with stress responses in wildlife

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2321-2333 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. G. Pottinger
Keyword(s):  
Stress Response ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Environmental Contaminants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Peripheral Tissues ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Corticosteroid Response

The extent to which nonreproductive aspects of the endocrine system are affected by environmental contaminants is to a large extent unknown. However, an emerging body of data demonstrates that the neuroendocrine stress response is a sensitive target for disruption by a range of environmental contaminants, at a number of discrete loci. Several mechanisms are responsible for generating and sustaining the corticosteroid response to a stressor, including synthesis of the steroid, negative feedback at the pituitary and hypothalamus, and clearance via metabolism and conjugation in peripheral tissues and the liver. Laboratory and field studies provide evidence that these elements of the stress response are susceptible to interference by EAS. The functional significance to the individual of interference with this important adaptive mechanism remains to be established.

scholarly journals Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in ovarian function: effects on steroidogenesis, metabolism and nuclear receptor signaling

Reproduction ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 142 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zelieann R Craig ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jodi A Flaws
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Reproductive Organ ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Endogenous Hormones ◽  
Hormone Signaling ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Exogenous Agents

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous agents with the ability to interfere with processes regulated by endogenous hormones. One such process is female reproductive function. The major reproductive organ in the female is the ovary. Disruptions in ovarian processes by EDCs can lead to adverse outcomes such as anovulation, infertility, estrogen deficiency, and premature ovarian failure among others. This review summarizes the effects of EDCs on ovarian function by describing how they interfere with hormone signaling via two mechanisms: altering the availability of ovarian hormones, and altering binding and activity of the hormone at the receptor level. Among the chemicals covered are pesticides (e.g. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and methoxychlor), plasticizers (e.g. bisphenol A and phthalates), dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzo[a]pyrene).

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