Environmental Health Perspectives[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Impact of Environmental Factors on the Distribution Patterns of Nephropathia Epidemica Cases in Western Europe.
Erazo D, Vincenti-Gonzalez MF, Ghisbain G … +7 more , Faber M, Reusken C, Sauvage V, Wint W, Leirs H, Dellicour S, Tersago K
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40261974 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Environmental factors, such as fluctuations of climatic conditions and land cover, play a pivotal role in driving infectious disease epidemics, particularly those originating from wildlife reservoirs. , hoste...
BACKGROUND: Environmental factors, such as fluctuations of climatic conditions and land cover, play a pivotal role in driving infectious disease epidemics, particularly those originating from wildlife reservoirs. , hosted by bank voles in Europe, is the causative agent of a form of hemorrhagic fever and renal syndrome called nephropathia epidemica. Despite two decades of consistent presence in western Europe, nephropathia epidemica outbreaks still pose challenges due to localized periodic occurrences and a lack of understanding of its environmental drivers. OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the specific ecological and climatic factors influencing nephropathia epidemica outbreaks in western Europe. METHODS: We compiled monthly, serologically confirmed nephropathia epidemica case data obtained from public health authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands for the period 2004-2012. Cases were georeferenced to the finest available administrative unit. We selected 28 covariates, including climatic variables, land cover, tree species distributions, and human population, and implemented a Bayesian spatiotemporal model using integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) with zero-inflated Poisson distribution, including fixed effects and spatial, temporal, and nonstructured random effects. RESULTS: We identified key triggers for nephropathia epidemica outbreaks, particularly climate-mediated changes in all seasons up to 2 years before, favoring tree mast impacting bank vole abundance. Our findings revealed that while land-cover factors mostly determine hotspot locations, climatic fluctuation patterns rather tend to modulate outbreak intensity. DISCUSSION: Crucially, our model allows for the generation of yearly maps showcasing nephropathia epidemica incidence and risk factors, aiding in public health preparedness against climate change-induced disease emergence. This work represents a significant step toward developing targeted forecasting tools for outbreaks, offering valuable insights for epidemic control strategies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15457.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Eutopic Endometrium Tissue and Risk of Endometriosis: Findings from the Investigating Mixtures of Pollutants and Endometriosis in Tissue (IMPLANT) Study.
Marroquin JM, Krall JR, Schliep KC … +4 more , Farland LV, Krishnamoorthi V, Kannan K, Pollack AZ
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Jun · PMID 40257857 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is widespread and has been linked with gynecologic disease. To our knowledge, no study has measured PFAS in endometrial tissue. METHODS: Eutopic endometrial...
BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is widespread and has been linked with gynecologic disease. To our knowledge, no study has measured PFAS in endometrial tissue. METHODS: Eutopic endometrial tissue specimens () were collected from Investigating Mixtures of Pollutants and Endometriosis in Tissue (IMPLANT) study participants undergoing laparoscopy or laparotomy for any indication (2007-2009). Nine PFAS were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry [perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA)]. Surgeons diagnosed endometriosis by gold-standard visualization and evaluated the endometriosis staging as moderate and severe (stages 3 and 4) compared to minimal and mild (stages 1 and 2) using American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) classification. We used modified Poisson regression models adjusted for age (continuous), race (white, all other race/ethnicities), smoking status (serum cotinine ), study site (Utah, California), and body mass index (continuous) to obtain relative risks (RR) of endometriosis diagnosis and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each PFAS. PFAS mixtures were evaluated using Bayesian kernel machine regression. RESULTS: Participants were, on average, years old, and 75% of participants were non-Hispanic white. Of the 181 participants with an incident endometriosis diagnosis, 73% had ASRM stage 1 or 2, while 27% had stage 3 or 4. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] eutopic endometrium tissue levels, in nanograms per gram, were 6.58 (6.44) for PFOS, 1.93 (1.71) for PFOA, 0.65 (0.75) for PFHxS, 0.58 (0.52) for PFNA, and 0.12 (0.18) for PFOSA. PFAS in the endometrial tissue was not associated with endometriosis. However, select PFAS in the eutopic tissue were associated with a risk of more advanced (stage 3 or 4 vs. 1 or 2) endometriosis [PFOSA (95% CI: 1.10, 1.43), PFHxS (95% CI: 1.12, 1.68), PFOS (95% CI: 1.02, 1.81)]. CONCLUSION: PFAS were widely detected in eutopic endometrial tissue. There was no evidence that PFAS in endometrial tissue were associated with a higher risk of endometriosis diagnosis. However, PFOS, PFOSA, and PFHxS in the endometrial tissue were associated with risk of more severe stage of endometriosis. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15852.
Associations between Maternal Urinary Metabolite Concentrations of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds and Child Neurocognitive Development at Two Years of Age.
Qian X, Wan Y, Li J … +7 more , Mahai G, Wang A, Wang Y, Ma J, Li Y, Xu S, Xia W
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Jun · PMID 40249596 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Neurotoxicity of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been documented in animal studies, but related epidemiological investigations are very limited; particularly, those based on biomonitoring da...
BACKGROUND: Neurotoxicity of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been documented in animal studies, but related epidemiological investigations are very limited; particularly, those based on biomonitoring data are not available yet. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the trimester-specific association between maternal urinary concentrations of multiple VOC metabolites and child neurodevelopment. METHODS: Twenty VOC metabolites were measured in urine samples repeatedly collected at the first, second, and third trimesters from 1,023 pregnant women in Wuhan, China. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Chinese Revision) was used to assess children's neurocognitive development at 2 years old. General linear models and generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the associations of individual urinary VOC metabolite concentrations with children's neurodevelopment. Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to evaluate the effect of the VOC metabolite mixture on children's neurodevelopment. RESULTS: Risk assessment showed that the average hazard quotients of cyanide, 1,3-butadiene, and acrolein during pregnancy exceeded the recommended safety thresholds in more than 90% of the women. Higher urinary concentration of 2-aminothiazoline-4-carboxylic acid (ATCA) (a metabolite of cyanide) was associated with lower child mental development index (MDI) score, and the association was significant at the first trimester among males. Each interquartile ratio-fold increase in the urinary concentration of ATCA at the first trimester was associated with a decrease of 4.25 points (95% confidence interval: , ) in males' MDI scores. Additionally, WQS regression and BKMR analyses suggested that the VOC metabolite mixture was significantly associated with lower MDI in males, and the association was mainly driven by ATCA. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to cyanide at environmentally relevant doses may impact neurodevelopment, particularly among males. Early pregnancy appeared to be the sensitive window of the exposure. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Corresponding measures need to be taken to reduce gestational exposure to cyanide. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15539.
Effect Modification by Socioeconomic Status on the Associations between Early Placental Protein Damage and Exposure to Ambient Air PM Chemical Components.
Yang J, Li X, Chu M … +6 more , Wang M, Huo Y, Han B, Bai Z, Wang J, Zhang Y
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40245380 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Ambient fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter () exposure is associated with systemic protein damage in pregnant women. However, its effect on protein damage in human placentas is unclear. OBJECT...
BACKGROUND: Ambient fine particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter () exposure is associated with systemic protein damage in pregnant women. However, its effect on protein damage in human placentas is unclear. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the associations of and chemical component exposures with advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) in placental villi tissues before 13 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We enrolled 165 women with unintended normal early pregnancy (NEP) who requested induced abortion during the first trimester and 165 women with early pregnancy loss (EPL) who also requested induced abortion (2017-2022). Maternal daily , black carbon (BC), organic matter (OM), sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium exposures from the 12th week before ovulation to villi collection were estimated using data accessed from the Tracking Air Pollution in China platform. Associations of pollutant exposures during the 30 days before villi collection, during the post-conception period (from ovulation to villi collection), and during the periovulatory period (from the 12th week before to the third week after ovulation) with villi AOPP were estimated and compared between the NEP and EPL groups. Additionally, effect modifications by socioeconomic status expressed in family monthly income per capita were estimated using stratified distributed lag nonlinear models. RESULTS: Thirty-day cumulative and average post-conception exposures to higher concentrations of , BC, and OM were associated with higher villi AOPP in all subjects and both groups. Thirty-day cumulative effects of per interquartile range increase in the residuals of BC and OM were robust in EPL [ values (95% confidence interval) of villi AOPP were 111.22% (17.96%, 278.24%) and 93.87% (20.63%, 211.56%)] but were not robust in NEP. The associations of per interquartile range increase in the concentrations of BC and OM at some lag days with higher villi AOPP were stronger in low-income stratification (the ranges of values of villi AOPP were 10.51-11.99% and 8.08-12.50%) than those in medium-income stratification (3.19-3.80% and 1.95-3.73%) and high-income stratification (2.57-2.78% and 2.51-2.72%). Periovulatory OM exposure was positively associated with villi AOPP in EPL but not in NEP, and the susceptible periods to and the other four components were 1-4 weeks earlier in EPL than in NEP. DISCUSSION: Maternal , BC, and OM exposures were positively associated with oxidative protein damage in early placenta. The associations were stronger in women with EPL or low-income. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15170.
A Qualitative Study of the Ethics of Community Scientists' Role in Environmental Health Research from the Perspective of Community Scientists and Institutional Review Board Staff.
Baron S, Cuervo I, Wilets I … +4 more , Cruz J, Gonzalez A, Flores D, Harari H
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40239124 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Community engagement in research, including community scientists' (CSs) participation in environmental exposure assessments, promotes the bidirectional flow of information between communities and researchers...
BACKGROUND: Community engagement in research, including community scientists' (CSs) participation in environmental exposure assessments, promotes the bidirectional flow of information between communities and researchers and improves the development of interventions to reduce environmental health inequities. Nonetheless, institutional review boards (IRBs) with limited experience with CS research tend to struggle when reviewing protocols given CS participants' dual role as research participants and co-creators of data. METHODS: We collected focus group data from 35 Latina housecleaners eliciting their bioethical reflections on their experience as CSs before and after participation in the collection of data about their exposures to chemical compounds in cleaning products. We shared findings from CS participants and collected impressions and challenges from IRB staff from five New York City biomedical research institutions. We used a modified approach to conventional content analysis to guide data analysis and combined deductive and inductive approaches to generate codes. RESULTS: The CS participants emphasized their shared responsibility in the research process and bidirectional learning with the research team, which they saw as educating and empowering themselves and their broader community to create safer cleaning practices to improve the community's health and wellbeing. CS participants embraced the importance of sound science by their recognition that their community relied on the quality and accuracy of their work as CSs. Perspectives from IRB staff similarly recognized the value of participant engagement but emphasized the importance of disentangling CS activities as research participants from activities as research team members to better determine the appropriate mechanisms and authorities for assuring ethical protections. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that existing bioethical principles of beneficence, respect for persons, and justice, when interpreted by participants as inclusive of protections and benefits for both the CSs and their community's collective good, reflect the bioethical values of our CS participants. However, better guidance and training is needed for researchers, IRBs, and community collaborators to apply these values and respect and protect the full range of roles for community members participating in research. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15824.
The Association between Multiple Environmental Exposures and Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a Prospective, US-Based Cohort Study.
Mehta UV, Wilt GE, Roscoe C … +11 more , Okereke OI, Coull BA, James P, Laden F, Iyer HS, Yanosky JD, Kaufman J, Fiffer MR, DeVille NV, Holland I, Hart JE
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Jun · PMID 40237568 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has implicated built and natural environmental exposures in the etiology and exacerbation of anxiety symptoms. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess individual and joint associations betwe...
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has implicated built and natural environmental exposures in the etiology and exacerbation of anxiety symptoms. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess individual and joint associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), walkability, greenness, fine particulate matter (), nitrogen dioxide (), and temperature and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. METHODS: We included 81,897 participants of the Nurses' Health Study II. GAD symptoms were measured in 2013 and 2017 using the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). Walkability and nSES -scores were calculated at the census tract level. Summer and annual average greenness were measured using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 270 m and 1,230 m buffer sizes. 1-, 3-, and 12-month averages of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of (), nitrogen dioxide (), and temperature were predicted using spatiotemporal models. Exposures were measured at the residential level. Longitudinal logistic and generalized estimating equations (GEE) models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for clinically relevant GAD symptoms (GAD-7 points). We assessed effect modification by nSES, summer NDVI (), and select covariates. We employed quantile g-computation to assess the association between environmental exposure mixtures and GAD symptoms more directly. RESULTS: In single-exposure models, summer NDVI (e.g., for , ; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98), (e.g., for 12-month average , ; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04), 12-month average temperature (; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.07), and walkability (; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.03) were associated with GAD symptoms. In the joint-exposure model, nSES (; 95% CI: 0.95, 0.98) and summer NDVI were associated (; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.96); all other associations were attenuated. Associations with summer NDVI (), temperature, and were modified by nSES, with stronger associations in socioeconomically deprived areas. DISCUSSION: In this population, higher levels of summer greenness and nSES may be protectively associated with GAD symptoms, whereas medium- and long-term exposure, long-term temperature, and walkability are adversely associated with GAD symptoms. Socioeconomically deprived areas may bear additional risks. The results of the quantile g-computation analysis suggest that environmental exposures may act antagonistically with one another in relation to GAD symptoms. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14458.
The Imperative for Hazard- and Place-Specific Assessment of Heat Vulnerability.
Karanja J, Vanos J, Georgescu M … +2 more , Frazier AE, Hondula D
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40233281 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Representing vulnerability is crucial for informing targeted interventions, but existing vulnerability conceptualizations are too general for heat hazard-specific and place-specific relevance. Examining the k...
BACKGROUND: Representing vulnerability is crucial for informing targeted interventions, but existing vulnerability conceptualizations are too general for heat hazard-specific and place-specific relevance. Examining the key decision criteria centering around data choices, selection of input variables, methodological approaches, and theoretical conceptualizations are integral to progressing toward hazard-specific and place-specific vulnerability assessment. Moreover, decisions touching on Geographic Information Science (GIScience)-related issues (e.g., the implications of scale choices and accounting for contextual effects) impact how people who are at risk for adverse heat-health outcomes are represented. In turn, these representations influence how critical interventions are implemented. Given the prospects of increases in adverse heat-health outcomes associated with planetary and urban warming, it is crucial to examine how the representation of heat vulnerability can be enhanced for tailored interventions. OBJECTIVE: This commentary examines the assumptions underpinning the decision criteria for heat vulnerability analysis and identifies associated implications while recommending priority future research. Reorienting general hazard conceptualizations to reflect contextual, heat-specific nuances is crucial for attenuating heat-related health outcomes. DISCUSSION: Heat vulnerability studies lack consistent decision criteria, which undermines progress toward hazard-specific and place-specific vulnerability relevance. Some of these limitations are attributable to the persistent application of general, all-hazards conceptualizations to hazard-specific studies. Moreover, inconsistent decision criteria undermine the replicability and validity of studies and propagate uncertainty while compromising progress toward standardized, consistent, scalable approaches and testing of existing assumptions that could strengthen heat vulnerability theory. Given GIScience technologies are central to representing spatial patterns of vulnerability, the epistemological foundation of vulnerability theory can be strengthened when GIScience concepts (e.g., the operational scale of social-environmental determinants of health and assumptions underpinning spatial relationships) are considered during vulnerability representation. CONCLUSION: Examining decision criteria for heat vulnerability assessment is crucial to identifying optimal sets of heat-specific and place-specific risk indicators, thereby enhancing the representation of vulnerability. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14801.
Outdoor Exposure to Artificial Light at Night and Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study Nested in the E3N-Generations Cohort.
Prajapati N, Praud D, Perrin C … +4 more , Fervers B, Coudon T, Faure E, Guénel P
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40233256 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Exposure to light at night (LAN), particularly blue light, is suspected to disrupt circadian rhythm, inhibit melatonin production, and eventually increase the risk of breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: We assessed th...
BACKGROUND: Exposure to light at night (LAN), particularly blue light, is suspected to disrupt circadian rhythm, inhibit melatonin production, and eventually increase the risk of breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the association between exposure to outdoor LAN and breast cancer risk in the E3N-Generations cohort, a large population-based cohort study of French women followed-up from 1990 to 2011. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study in the cohort, including 5,222 incident breast cancer cases and 5,222 matched controls. Outdoor LAN exposure at residential addresses was assessed using radiance-calibrated satellite images from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). Logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for socio-demographic, reproductive, hormonal, and lifestyle-related factors, as well as exposure to air pollutants (, ) evaluated from land use regression and chemistry-transport models, and proximity to greenspaces estimated from the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in a buffer of . RESULTS: Before adjustment for environmental covariates, the ORs associated for LAN exposure increased monotonically from the first to the fourth quartile. This increasing trend was less pronounced after adjustment for air pollutants ( and ) and NDVI, but the fully adjusted OR per interquartile range (IQR) of LAN exposure () remained slightly elevated [; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.20]. The adjusted ORs were slightly more elevated in postmenopausal (; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.18) than in premenopausal women and in women living in urban areas with low greenness. CONCLUSION: The weak positive associations observed in this study that persist after adjustment for environmental covariates, support the hypothesis that outdoor LAN may increase breast cancer risk. Our results, suggesting that urban greenness could mitigate the role of LAN exposure in breast cancer risk, should be investigated further. Future studies on cancer risk in relation to outdoor LAN should assess exposure to indoor sources, including electronic devices, and characterize the light spectrum, particularly the blue light. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15105.
Long-Term Exposure to Nitrate and Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water and Gastric Cancer: A Multicase-Control Study in Spain (MCC-Spain).
Donat-Vargas C, Kogevinas M, Castaño-Vinyals G … +11 more , Pérez-Gómez B, Aragonés N, Guevara M, Gómez-Acebo I, Molina A, Fernandez-Tardon G, Vanaclocha-Espí M, Molina-Barceló A, Moreno V, Pollan M, Villanueva CM
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40233199 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Disinfection byproducts and -nitroso compounds (NOC) formed endogenously after nitrate ingestion have been shown to be carcinogenic in animal studies, but epidemiological evidence is limited, especially in re...
BACKGROUND: Disinfection byproducts and -nitroso compounds (NOC) formed endogenously after nitrate ingestion have been shown to be carcinogenic in animal studies, but epidemiological evidence is limited, especially in relation to gastric cancer. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between drinking water exposure to nitrate and trihalomethanes (THMs) and gastric cancer in a multicase-control study conducted in Spain (MCC-Spain). METHODS: In 2008-2013, 254 hospital-based incident gastric cancer cases and 2,365 population-based controls were recruited, providing information on residential histories and type of water consumed. Adult lifetime average nitrate and THM levels in residences from age 18 until 2 years before the interview were estimated and linked with water consumption information to calculate waterborne ingested nitrate, brominated (Br)-THMs, and chloroform. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression, with adjustment for potential confounders. We assessed the effect modification by factors influencing endogenous NOC formation. RESULTS: Median [percentile 25th (P)-percentile 75 (P)] () lifetime waterborne ingested nitrate (), Br-THMs (), and chloroform () were 2.7 (1.4-5.6), 3.8 (1.5-8.1), and 12.2 (4.0-23.7), respectively, in cases and 3.8 (1.8-8.5), 5.7 (2.6-19.2), and 12.9 (4.6-24.5) in controls, respectively. Adjusted OR (95% CI) for gastric cancer comparing nitrate intake vs. (percentile 80th, P) was 1.42 (0.88, 2.29). This association was more pronounced among participants with low consumption of vegetables [2.24 (1.02, 4.91)], vitamin C [2.10 (0.94, 4.71)], and vitamin E [2.81 (1.16, 6.78)] and among those with high consumption of alcohol [2.78 (0.98, 7.93)] or processed meat [1.91 (0.97, 3.75)]. When stratified by age, the association only remained in the years of age group (median 73 years of age). OR for gastric cancer comparing Br-THM ingestion th percentile was 0.65 (0.33, 1.28) and for chloroform was 1.36 (0.87, 2.14). Comparable ORs were found for residential concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term waterborne nitrate exposure below regulatory limits may increase gastric cancer risk among older adults and in those with poor dietary patterns. These findings need to be confirmed by cohort studies with larger sample sizes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15039.
Invited Perspective: How Do Green- and Bluespaces Reduce Heat-Related Health Risks? Gaining New Insights from Street-View Imagery, Deep Learning Models, and Smartphone Data.
Yi L, James P
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Apr · PMID 40228076 · Publisher ↗
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Perinatal Exposures to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Risk of Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Cancer.
Deziel NC, Wang R, Warren JL … +8 more , Dinauer C, Ogilvie J, Clark CJ, Zhong C, Wiemels JL, Morimoto L, Metayer C, Ma X
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40209106 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Pediatric thyroid cancer incidence has been increasing globally, with environmental exposures being a hypothesized risk factor. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between pediatric thyroid cancer risk an...
BACKGROUND: Pediatric thyroid cancer incidence has been increasing globally, with environmental exposures being a hypothesized risk factor. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between pediatric thyroid cancer risk and perinatal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter () and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN). Both are considered environmental carcinogens with evidence of thyroid function disruption, reported associations with thyroid cancer in adults, and concerns of distributive inequity. O-ALAN may also serve as a proxy for other outdoor air pollutants or urbanization. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of papillary thyroid cancer nested within a California birth cohort that included 736 cases diagnosed at 0-19 y of age and born in 1982-2011 and 36,800 controls frequency-matched on birth year. We assigned individual-level exposures for residence at birth for ambient concentrations from a validated, ensemble-based prediction model and O-ALAN using the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders and stratified by age and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: We observed statistically significant associations between exposure and papillary thyroid cancer risk overall (OR per increase in , 95% CI: 1.01, 1.14), among the 15-19 y age group (; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.16), and among Hispanic children (; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.24). For O-ALAN, we observed statistically significantly increased odds of papillary thyroid cancer in higher exposure tertiles in comparison with the reference tertile in the overall population (tertile 2: , 95% CI: 1.04, 1.50; tertile 3: , 95% CI: 1.02, 1.50) and when modeled as a continuous variable ( per ). In age-stratified analyses, significant associations were observed among the 15-19 y age group, but not the 0-14 y age group. No significant differences were found by race/ethnicity. DISCUSSION: This study provides new evidence suggesting associations between early-life exposure to and O-ALAN and pediatric papillary thyroid cancer. Given that O-ALAN may also represent other air pollutants or broader urbanization patterns, further research and refinements to exposure metrics are needed to disentangle these factors. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14849.
Quantification of 16 Metals in Fluids and Aerosols From Ultrasonic Pod-Style Cigarettes and Comparison to Electronic Cigarettes.
Omaiye EE, Talbot P
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40207990 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) fluids and aerosols contain metals, which can be detrimental to human health. Recently marketed ultrasonic cigarettes (u-cigarettes) claim to be less harmful than e-cigarett...
BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) fluids and aerosols contain metals, which can be detrimental to human health. Recently marketed ultrasonic cigarettes (u-cigarettes) claim to be less harmful than e-cigarettes, which use heating coils. OBJECTIVES: We quantified chemical elements/metals in multiple flavors of SURGE u-cigarettes, JUUL e-cigarettes, and "Other Brands" of pod-style e-cigarettes. METHODS: Elements/metals were identified in atomizers of SURGE using a scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Quantitation of elements/metals in fluids and aerosols from SURGE, JUUL, and "Other Brands" was performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. RESULTS: U-cigarettes contained a sonicator, unlike e-cigarettes, which had heated coils. Sixteen elements were identified in at least one fluid or aerosol sample. Generally, u-cigarette fluids and aerosols had more elements/metals at higher concentrations than aerosols from fourth-generation e-cigarettes. Element concentrations generally increased in fluids after vaping. All products, including SURGE, had silicon in their fluids and aerosols. Nickel, which was present in low concentrations in all fluids except KWIT Stick (up to ), transferred to the aerosols with low efficiency. SURGE, but not e-cigarettes, also had copper and zinc in their fluids, but little transferred to their aerosols. SURGE fluids and aerosols, unlike e-cigarettes, had relatively high concentrations of arsenic and selenium. Arsenic and selenium, which are on the US Food and Drug Administration list of "Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents," likely came from poor quality solvents used to produce the e-fluids in SURGE pods and possibly from the sonicator, which heats during use. DISCUSSION: SURGE u-cigarettes produce aerosols with metals equivalent to heated coil-style e-cigarettes and had high levels of arsenic and selenium, which are a health concern. Regulations limiting arsenic and selenium in these products are needed, and routine surveillance to identify rogue products, such as KWIT Stick, which have abnormally high levels of nickel or other metals, could protect human health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15648.
Bisphenol S Exposure and MASLD: A Mechanistic Study in Mice.
Li S, Fan Y, Tang M … +11 more , Wu X, Bai S, Yang X, Zhang X, Lu C, Ji C, Wade PA, Wang X, Gu W, Du G, Qin Y
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40203079 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Bisphenol S (BPS) is a substitute for bisphenol A in various commercial products and is increasingly used globally due to restrictions on bisphenol A usage. Consequently, there are increasing public health co...
BACKGROUND: Bisphenol S (BPS) is a substitute for bisphenol A in various commercial products and is increasingly used globally due to restrictions on bisphenol A usage. Consequently, there are increasing public health concerns that substantial effects mediated by synthetic chemicals may impact human health. Recently, epidemiology studies reported associations between bisphenol exposure and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)]. However, the causal relationship and the molecular mechanisms affecting hepatocellular functions are still unknown. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to understand the molecular mechanism by which BPS exposure caused hepatic lipid deposition. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were exposed to BPS for 3 months, and its effects were assessed by histology. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughout sequencing (ATAC-seq), and cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) were used to investigate mechanistic details. ATF3 liver-specific knockout mice and cells were used to validate its functions in BPS-induced hepatotoxicity. RESULTS: Here, mice that were chronically exposed to BPS showed significant lipid deposition in the liver and dyslipidemia and were predisposed to MASLD, accompanied with a reprogrammed liver transcriptional network and chromatin accessibility that was enriched for the Atf3 binding motif. Comparing to the control group, we identified numerous differential Atf3 binding sites associated with signaling pathways integral to lipid catabolism and synthesis in the BPS exposure group, resulting in a drastic surge in lipid accumulation. Moreover, knocking out Atf3 and significantly attenuates BPS-induced hepatic lipid accumulation via the regulation of chromatin accessibility and gene expression. Besides, inhibiting JunB also eliminates BPS-induced Atf3 upregulation and lipid accumulation. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a novel mechanism, through which BPS upregulates JunB and Atf3 to impair hepatic lipid metabolism, and provides new insights into the hepatotoxicity of BPS. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP17057.
Obtaining and Evaluating Information on the Use, Release, and Health Effects of Two Types of Long-Chain PFAS Used as Alternatives for Legacy Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids: A Case Study.
Post GB
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40198848 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are less bioaccumulative have been introduced as replacements for long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with the intent of reducing health risks....
BACKGROUND: Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are less bioaccumulative have been introduced as replacements for long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) with the intent of reducing health risks. In contrast, alternative PFAS with longer chain lengths may be at least as bioaccumulative and toxic as phased-out long-chain PFAAs. Such alternative PFAS were used and released unbeknownst to regulatory authorities or the public, causing environmental contamination of public health concern. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine issues encountered in learning about use, release, and toxicity of alternative PFAS and to demonstrate development of human health benchmarks for alternative PFAS from previously unavailable health effects information. DISCUSSION: Environmental contamination with chloroperfluoropolyether carboxylates (ClPFPECAs) near a New Jersey fluoropolymer manufacturing facility was revealed through a joint New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)-United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Research and Development study. Previously unavailable information on use, release, and toxicity of ClPFPECAs and another alternative PFAS, perfluoropolyether dicarboxylates, was obtained through an NJDEP legal directive requiring submission of information on such PFAS used in the state. It was learned that the facility discharged large amounts of these alternative PFAS to air and water for many years, both before and after use of long-chain PFAAs ended, and that they are at least as bioaccumulative and toxic in rats as long-chain PFAAs. Additionally, information from exposed workers shows that ClPFPECAs have a human half-life of several years and are associated with numerous health end points. Reference doses and water concentrations protective of chronic drinking water exposure for these alternative PFAS are below those developed by NJDEP for long-chain PFAAs. The use and release of alternative PFAS described herein created concerning human health risks, unknown to regulatory authorities and the public. Such situations in other locations must be identified to allow for regulatory intervention and prevented in the future. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15995.
Exposure to Long- and Short-Chain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mice and Ovarian-Related Outcomes: An and Study.
Pattarawat P, Zhan T, Fan Y … +11 more , Zhang J, Yang H, Zhang Y, Moyd S, Douglas NC, Urbanek M, Buckley B, Burdette J, Zhang Q, Kim JJ, Xiao S
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40194260 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The extensive use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has led to environmental contamination and bioaccumulation of these substances. Previous research linked PFAS exposure to female reproductive di...
BACKGROUND: The extensive use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has led to environmental contamination and bioaccumulation of these substances. Previous research linked PFAS exposure to female reproductive disorders, but the mechanism remains elusive. Further, most studies focused on legacy long-chain PFOA and PFOS, yet the reproductive impacts of other long-chain PFAS and short-chain alternatives are rarely explored. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effects of long- and short-chain PFAS on the mouse ovary and further evaluated the toxic mechanisms of long-chain perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). METHODS: A 3D mouse ovarian follicle culture system and an mouse model were used, together with approaches of reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), pharmacological treatments, zymography, histology, hybridization, analytical chemistry, and benchmark dose modeling (BMD). Using these approaches, a wide range of exposure levels () of long-chain PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA) and short-chain PFAS (PFHpA, PFBS, GenX) were first tested in cultured follicles to examine their effects on follicle growth, hormone secretion, and ovulation. We identified as the most effective concentration for further investigation into the toxic mechanisms of PFNA, followed by an mouse exposure model to verify the accumulation of PFNA in the ovary and its ovarian-disrupting effects. RESULTS: cultured ovarian follicles exposed to long- but not short-chain PFAS showed poorer gonadotropin-dependent follicle growth, ovulation, and hormone secretion in comparison with control follicles. RT-qPCR and RNA-seq analyses revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes involved in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-dependent follicle growth, luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulated ovulation, and associated regulatory pathways in the PFNA-exposed group in comparison with the control group. The PPAR agonist experiment demonstrated that a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma () antagonist could reverse both the phenotypic and genotypic effects of PFNA exposure, restoring them to levels comparable to the control group. Furthermore, experiments confirmed that PFNA could accumulate in ovarian tissues and validated the findings. The BMD, , and extrapolation analyses estimated follicular rupture as the most sensitive end point and that observed effects occurred in the range of human exposure to long-chain PFAS. DISCUSSION: Our study demonstrates that long-chain PFAS, particularly PFNA, act as a agonist in granulosa cells to interfere with gonadotropin-dependent follicle growth, hormone secretion, and ovulation; and exposure to high levels of PFAS may cause adverse ovarian outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14876.
Estimating Heat-Related Mortality Burden Changes under Type-Specific Green and Blue Space Scenarios in China.
Hu K, Wang S, Fei F … +9 more , Fu J, Shen Y, Chen F, Zhang Y, Cheng J, Yang X, Zhong J, Guo Y, Wu J
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40193182 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Green and blue spaces (GBS) are assumed to mitigate heat-induced health risks. However, few studies have explored the impact of type-specific GBS changes on heat-related mortality burden. OBJECTIVES: This stu...
BACKGROUND: Green and blue spaces (GBS) are assumed to mitigate heat-induced health risks. However, few studies have explored the impact of type-specific GBS changes on heat-related mortality burden. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect modifications of different GBS types on heat-related mortality risks, and to estimate the changes in mortality burden in multiple GBS scenarios. METHODS: A case time-series study design was utilized based on the daily data on all-cause mortality and temperatures from 2009 to 2020 in 1,085 subdistricts in China. Mortality count data were obtained from the Zhejiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Meteorological data on temperature and relative humidity were acquired from the Zhejiang Meteorological Bureau. GBS exposure was assessed by integrating fine-scale population density, GBS boundary from Baidu and OpenStreetMap, and street-view image data from Baidu. Conditional Poisson regression analyses were conducted with the distributed lag nonlinear model, incorporating modifiers of type-specific GBS exposure. Changes in heat-attributable mortality under different GBS scenarios were also assessed. RESULTS: Heat-related mortality risks were lower for populations with high exposure (95%) than for those with low exposure (5%) ) to overall green spaces, forests, parks, nature reserves, and street greenery, rather than to grasses, farms, and scrubs; and ) to overall blue spaces, lakes, and rivers, rather than reservoirs, wetlands, or coasts. Increases of 10%, 20%, and 30% exposure to overall green spaces are expected to avoid heat-related mortality burden by 1.6% [95% empirical confidence interval (eCI): 1.4, 1.9, 3.2% (95% eCI: 2.5, 3.9), and 4.8% (95% eCI: 3.5, 6.2)], respectively, whereas corresponding estimates for overall blue spaces are 5.4% (95% eCI: 4.4, 6.4), 10.8% (95% eCI: 8.5, 13.3), and 16.2% (95% eCI: 12.3, 20.5), respectively. Conversely, a 30% decrease in overall green space exposure and overall blue space exposure will increase the heat-related mortality burden by 4.8% (95% eCI: 4.3, 5.2) and 15.9% (95% eCI: 15.2, 16.7), respectively. DISCUSSION: Our study revealed differences in the capacity of various GBS types to mitigate heat-related mortality risks. While the protective effects of GBS may be moderate, targeted planning strategies should prioritize their implementation for maximum benefits in mitigating heat-related health risks. The continuous shrinkage of the GBS would render other efforts futile, such as heat-health action plans. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14014.
Prenatal and Childhood Phthalate Mixtures and Adolescent Sleep Health in the HOME Study.
Sears CG, Buckley JP, Cecil KM … +5 more , Kalkwarf HJ, Xu Y, Chen A, Yolton K, Braun JM
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40179323 · Full text
BACKGROUND: The biological mechanisms linking early life phthalate exposure with adverse behaviors and cardiometabolic conditions also impact sleep health, but whether early life exposure impacts adolescent sleep is unkn...
BACKGROUND: The biological mechanisms linking early life phthalate exposure with adverse behaviors and cardiometabolic conditions also impact sleep health, but whether early life exposure impacts adolescent sleep is unknown. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether gestational and childhood urinary phthalate metabolite mixtures were associated with sleep characteristics during adolescence. We also examined periods of heightened susceptibility to individual phthalates. METHODS: In the Health Outcomes and Measures of the Environment (HOME) Study (Cincinnati, Ohio; 2003-2006; ), we quantified urinary metabolites of eight parent phthalate diesters during pregnancy (16- and 26-wk) and childhood (ages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12 years). Using regression calibration approaches, we estimated average measurement error-corrected phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy and childhood. We used wrist actigraphy to assess sleep characteristics for 1 wk among participants at age 12. Using quantile-based g-computation, we estimated covariate-adjusted differences in sleep efficiency (%), sleep fragmentation index scores (%), sleep duration (minutes) per quartile increase in all phthalate metabolite concentrations (), and weights indicating the contribution of each metabolite to . Using multiple informant models, we examined whether associations between individual phthalate metabolites and sleep characteristics varied by timing of exposure. RESULTS: Increasing all gestational phthalate metabolites by a quartile was associated with lower sleep efficiency [; 95% confidence interval (CI): , ] and higher sleep fragmentation (; 95% CI: 0.3, 3.0); mono--butyl phthalate (MnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) metabolites contributed most to these relations. Higher childhood phthalate metabolite mixture quartiles were associated with shorter sleep duration ( minutes; 95% CI: , ); monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) contributed most to this association. We found that higher DEHP metabolite concentrations during pregnancy were more strongly related to higher sleep fragmentation than childhood concentrations. In contrast, higher MEP and MnBP concentrations during childhood, but not pregnancy, were consistently associated with shorter sleep duration. DISCUSSION: Phthalate metabolite concentrations during pregnancy and childhood were associated with poorer adolescent sleep health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15221.
Exposure to Ethylene Oxide and Relative Rates of Female Breast Cancer Mortality: 62 Years of Follow-Up in a Large US Occupational Cohort.
Kelly-Reif K, Bertke SJ, Stayner L … +1 more , Steenland K
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 May · PMID 40168621 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a recognized carcinogen of concern in occupational and environmental settings, but evidence of cancer risks in humans remains limited. Since new EtO emission standards and mitigation m...
BACKGROUND: Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a recognized carcinogen of concern in occupational and environmental settings, but evidence of cancer risks in humans remains limited. Since new EtO emission standards and mitigation measures have been proposed, further investigation of EtO cancer risks is needed to inform quantitative risk assessment. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to estimate the association between cumulative EtO exposure and risk of death from breast cancer. METHODS: We had data on 7,549 women from the largest cohort of EtO-exposed workers who were employed for at least 1 y at one of 13 US facilities, with mortality follow-up from 1 January 1960 to 31 December 2021. We estimated relative rates (RR) of the association between cumulative EtO exposure [parts per million days (ppm-days)] and breast cancer mortality using Cox proportional hazard models, using a matched risk-set sampling design with attained age as the underlying time scale. We further examined a subcohort of women who participated in interviews that contained information about breast cancer risk factors. RESULTS: Cumulative exposure to EtO was associated with elevated RRs of breast cancer mortality (181 deaths). In a log-log model with a 20-y lag fit, workers who accrued of exposure (equivalent to 10 y exposed at a rate of ) had over three times the rate of breast cancer death in comparison with unexposed workers (RR at 3,650 ; 95% CI: 1.78, 5.60). This RR remained elevated for the subset of the cohort with interview data after matching on potential confounders (RR at 3,650 ; 95% CI: 1.52, 7.13). We observed evidence of variation in RRs by time since exposure and exposure rate. DISCUSSION: This updated analysis of an EtO-exposed worker cohort builds on evidence that EtO is a human breast carcinogen and supports recent exposure reduction proposals. Given the high prevalence of breast cancer, the large number of workers exposed to EtO and the potential for widespread environmental exposure increased risks observed even in the low exposure range are of serious public health importance. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15566.
Comment on "IARC Workshop on the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens: Assessment of End Points for Evaluating Mechanistic Evidence of Carcinogenic Hazards".
Goodman JE, Drury NL, Marchitti SA
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Apr · PMID 40168618 · Publisher ↗
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Response to "Comment on 'IARC Workshop on the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens: Assessment of End Points for Evaluating Mechanistic Evidence of Carcinogenic Hazards'".
DeMarini DM, Chiu WA, Guyton KZ … +6 more , Gwinn W, Reisfeld B, Wang A, de Conti A, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Madia F
Environ Health Perspect · 2025 Apr · PMID 40168617 · Publisher ↗
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