endocrine disrupting chemicals
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Why plastics have overtaken the planet
And what people just like you are doing about it.
Newsletter
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Why an activist from Texas crossed the world to confront Asia’s biggest petrochemical company
For Diane Wilson, the 8,000-mile trip to Formosa Plastics’ annual shareholder meeting in Taipei was part of a strategy of being relentless.
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The toxic aftermath of the L.A.-area fires: Why contamination is keeping people out of their homes
Since the Eaton Fire, Altadena residents have found hazardous substances such as lead and asbestos on their properties, fueling fear, conflict and a patchwork of emerging research.
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Sweeping California law on single-use plastic meets with outrage from all sides as it goes live
Environmentalists announced plans to sue California within days of the landmark single-use plastic law taking effect, claiming state regulators inserted loopholes favoring the plastic industry.
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Toxic chemicals and climate change work together to harm fertility across species
In a recent review published in NPJ Emerging Contaminants, researchers examine how toxic chemicals can reduce fertility in both humans and wildlife, and how these effects are worsened by climate change.
In short:
- Animals - including insects, fish, reptiles, birds, humans, and other mammals - are constantly simultaneously exposed to synthetic chemicals and the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures.
- Both of these stressors can harm fertility, and many of the impacts found are similar across species, such as effects on sperm and eggs.
- The stress caused by these exposures also impacts overall health, harming animals’ ability to adapt to a changing environment and worsening global biodiversity loss.
Key quote:
“To build a sustainable future, we must recognize that chemicals, once released, don’t simply disappear. Instead, they contribute to the larger issue of driving humanity towards the exceedance of planetary boundaries when considered in combination with climate change and other planetary-level impacts.”
Why this matters:
While climate change and toxic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are both individually well-established as health threats, few studies have examined the implications of the widespread simultaneous exposure experienced by humans and wildlife. Many EDCs can also impact health across multiple generations, meaning their harm continues long after the original exposure. To better tackle the issue of EDCs, the authors of this study emphasize the need for strong regulations that address chemicals by class, rather than individually.
Related EHN coverage:
- Declining PFAS levels in seabird eggs reflect impact of regulatory action
- Op-ed: A stalled global plastic treaty threatens our future fertility (written by two of the lead authors of the above study)
More resources:
- ChemTrust: Wildlife and the environment – Endocrine disruptors
- Stockholm Resilience Center: Planetary Boundaries: The safe operating space for humanity
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Leading cardiology societies call for stronger protections against environmental hazards
Four international cardiology societies — the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology, and the World Heart Federation — issued a joint statement urging for regulatory action to address the role of toxic environmental exposures in cardiovascular disease.
In short:
- Growing evidence shows environmental exposures — including air pollution, chemical pollution, plastics, climate change, and artificial noise and light — may be contributing significantly to the rise in cardiovascular disease.
- Of these hazards, air pollution poses the greatest risk, likely by causing inflammation in the lungs and throughout the circulatory system.
- The multiple hazards associated with climate change like extreme heat and wildfires may also threaten cardiovascular health via dehydration, arrhythmia, and severe coronary events (such as heart attacks).
Key quote:
"A unified voice was needed to state clearly that the science is settled—and that continued inaction reflects political and structural inertia rather than scientific uncertainty.”
- Lead study author Dr. Thomas Münzel, via JAMA Medical News
Why this matters:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, contributing to roughly 44% of deaths from noncommunicable diseases. When speaking with JAMA Medical News, lead author Dr. Münzel contributed at least 1 in 5 of the 20 million annual global cardiovascular disease deaths to environmental hazards. The authors of this statement call on both policymakers and clinicians to address environmental exposures “with the same seriousness as traditional cardiovascular risks,” fully integrating them into regulations and patient care.
Related EHN coverage:
- American Heart Association: Children must be protected from health threats of environmental toxics
- Scientists call for accountability on reducing plastics’ harms: “Plastics cause death from from infancy to old age”
More resources:
- American Heart Association: Environmental exposures and pediatric cardiology
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Increased autism risk linked to exposure to wildfire smoke during pregnancy
In a first-of-its-kind study published in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers found that mothers who were exposed to wildlife smoke during the third trimester of pregnancy were more likely to have children diagnosed with autism by age 5.
In short:
- More frequent exposure to wildlife smoke during pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of autism in children.
- The study analyzed more than 200,000 mother-child pairs in Southern California between 2006 to 2014; nearly 60% of them were exposed to wildfire smoke for more than 5 days during pregnancy.
- The authors also found that prenatal exposure to particulate matter air pollution from a variety of sources — not just wildfires — is associated with an increased risk of autism in children.
Key quote:
“As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires in many parts of the world, understanding their relationship with autism is important to being able to develop preventive policy and interventions that will protect pregnant women and their children.”
- Study co-author Mostafijur Rahman, via Tulane University’s accompanying press release
Why this matters:
As climate change continues to impact global weather patterns, wildfires have become increasingly intense and frequent. Their impact on air pollution is significant - in California, wildfires account for over 70% of the fine particulate matter exposure on days with poor air quality. Environmental hazards that affect the health of pregnant people and their children can have long-term and severe outcomes. The authors of this study underscore the need for policies that protect vulnerable populations from air pollution and reduce the inequality in its health impacts.
Related EHN coverage:
- Wildfires and heat waves linked to an increased risk of preterm birth
- Wildfire smoke linked to an increased risk for dementia
- Op-ed: How climate change harms pregnant people and their babies
More resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Wildfire smoke and pregnancy
- Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL): Resources on Air Quality
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