endocrine disrupting chemicals
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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
Credit: Aakash Malik / Unsplash+
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
Photo credit: Photo by Nathália Rosa on Unsplash
Hard to digest: we still live in Fast Food Nation
Twenty-five years after I revealed the practices of the industrial food giants, the profits – and dangers – of mass producing meat and milk have only grown.
Credit: Artem Beliaikin/Unsplash
The case for giving garments a passport
As part of the forthcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which is set to take effect in 2027, every garment sold in European Union member states will be required to carry a digital product passport: a scannable record that traces an item’s full lifecycle.
Credit: Patrick Fore/Unsplash
Trump’s EPA focus: Delay, rescind, dismantle environmental and health protections
For the first time in the agency’s 55-year history, Congress has ceded its responsibility to oversee the EPA to a single politician who sanctioned its “wholesale demolition,” former staff charge.
Photo by Ashley Green/Unsplash
Ultra-processed diets drive obesity and climate change — but solutions are within reach
Diets around the world dependent on ultra-processed foods and animal-based agriculture are driving obesity rates and climate change, but solutions exist that would bolster health, and save money and the planet, according to a new review.
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PlasticFree opens access to global materials database during Climate Week NYC
PlasticFree has opened access to its entire global materials database so that it is freely accessible to designers, brands, and businesses looking to move away from plastic-related materials.
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