Environmental health perspectives

BACKGROUND: Several drinking water contaminants are known or suspected carcinogens; however, there are only a few investigations of drinking water exposure and ovarian cancer. We evaluated associations between regulated contaminants in comm…

BACKGROUND: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been shown to disrupt normal follicular development and ovulation. However, it is unknown which specific PFAS in follicular fluid negatively impact oocyte development and…

BACKGROUND: The Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Registry, followed since 1976, was created after a 1973 chemical manufacturing mistake. The flame retardant PBB was accidentally mixed into animal feed and distributed to Michigan farms…

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of studies have reported noteworthy health risks associated with dermal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from feminine hygiene products (FHPs). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to address the gap …

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 (…

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer is a hormone-dependent cancer, and estrogens play a relevant role in its etiology. However, little is known about the effects of environmental pollutants that act as xenoestrogens or that influence estrogenic …

BACKGROUND: Ambient air pollution may be a developmental endocrine disruptor. In animal models, gestational and perinatal exposure to diesel exhaust and concentrated particulate matter alters anogenital distance (AGD), a marker of prenatal …

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound particles containing a variety of RNA types, DNA, proteins, and other macromolecules, are now appreciated as an important means of communication between cells and tissues, both in nor…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids are highly prevalent, benign tumors. They are the leading indication for hysterectomy, and Black women are disproportionally burdened. Soy-based infant formula contains phytoestrogens, and exposure during sensit…

BACKGROUND: Diminished/decreased ovarian reserve (DOR) is a disorder of ovarian function, which severely affects women's reproductive health. Accumulating evidence has found that adverse environmental factors can affect ovarian function. Ho…

BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, the association of maternal exposure to metallic elements with weight trajectory pattern from the neonatal period has not been investigated. OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to identify infant growth t…

BACKGROUND: Growing epidemiological evidence suggests that organochlorine chemicals (OCCs), including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to systematically …

BACKGROUND: Injectable contraceptive use is common, with 74 million users worldwide. Use of the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is associated with bone mineral density loss. We hypothesize that increased bo…

BACKGROUND: Identification of female reproductive toxicants is currently based largely on integrated epidemiological and in vivo toxicology data and, to a lesser degree, on mechanistic data. A uniform approach to systematically search, orga…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a gynecological disease affecting 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. Endometriosis incidence has risen; however, whether this rise is due to disease awareness or environmental contamination is not known. OBJECT…

INTRODUCTION: Evidence from animal models suggests that prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous endocrine-disrupting chemical, is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in females. Exposure during early gestation, a crit…

BACKGROUND: Early-life exposure to estrogenic compounds affects the development of the reproductive system in rodent models and humans. Soy products, which contain phytoestrogens such as genistein, are one source of exposure in infants fed …

BACKGROUND: Human exposure to parabens and other antimicrobial chemicals is continual and pervasive. The hormone-disrupting properties of these environmental chemicals may adversely affect human reproduction. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to prospec…

BACKGROUND: Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that exposure to phthalates may be associated with adverse female reproductive outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the associations between urinary concentrations of phthalate …

BACKGROUND: The exposome encompasses all life-course environmental exposures from the prenatal period onward that influence health. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are interesting entities within this concept as markers and causation of disease. MicroRN…

BACKGROUND: In 2007, an expert panel reviewed associations between bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and reproductive health outcomes. Since then, new studies have been conducted on the impact of BPA on reproduction. OBJECTIVE: In this review, we…

BACKGROUND: Particulate matter and proximity to large roadways may promote disease mechanisms, including systemic inflammation, hormonal alteration, and vascular proliferation, that may contribute to the development and severity of endometr…

BACKGROUND: Anogenital distance in animals is used as a measure of fetal androgen action. Prenatal exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in rodents causes reproductive changes in male offspring and decreases anogenital distance. OB…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is considered an estrogen-dependent disease. Persistent environmental chemicals that exhibit hormonal properties, such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), may affect endometriosis risk. OBJECTIVE: We investigated…