BACKGROUND In environmental epidemiology, we use an array of tools from various, related disciplines to answer key questions about environmental exposures in relation to health outcomes. Typically, we ask questions related to what, who, where, when, and how. We value these questions because they contribute to novel scientific discovery and our understanding of disease etiology linked to environmental

BACKGROUND Environmental chemical exposures have been associated with metabolic outcomes, and typically, their binding to nuclear hormone receptors is considered the molecular initiating event (MIE) for a number of outcomes. However, more studies are needed to understand the influence of such exposures on cell membrane-bound adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs), which are critical metabolic regulators.

The integrated approach tackles a perfect storm of poverty, invasive rats, deforestation, and climate change that is contributing to the increase in bubonic plague cases.

BACKGROUND Planetary and human health are highly intertwined; our current food system is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and burden of disease. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of diet-related GHGE with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Japan. METHODS This study included 58,031 Japanese adults (35,078 women and 22,953 men) 40-79 y of age

BACKGROUND Longitudinal trends in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations across pregnancy have not been thoroughly examined, despite evidence linking prenatal PFAS exposures with adverse birth outcomes. OBJECTIVES We sought to characterize longitudinal PFAS concentrations across pregnancy and to examine the maternal-fetal transfer ratio among participants in a study of risk

Gut microbes appeared to play a role in the obesity outcomes observed in mice fed manufactured polystyrene microspheres.

BACKGROUND Emerging literature suggests that fine particulate matter [with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5)] air pollution and its components are linked to various neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated how PM2.5 component mixtures from distinct sources relate to cognitive outcomes in children. OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study investigated how ambient concentrations

BACKGROUND Scientists who communicate societally relevant information face challenging contexts in which misinformation, disinformation, hype, and spin are prevalent. As a result, they often face difficult decisions about how to frame their work in a socially responsible manner. OBJECTIVES Drawing from the literature on science communication and framing, we identify tradeoffs that environmental health

Exposures to chemicals, including phthalates, triphenyl phosphate, and dibutyl phosphate, have been associated with increased levels of lipid markers, such as elevated low-density lipoprotein.

BACKGROUND Drinking water at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was contaminated with trichloroethylene and other industrial solvents from 1953 to 1985. METHODS A cohort cancer incidence study was conducted of Marines/Navy personnel who began service and were stationed at Camp Lejeune (N=154,821) or Camp Pendleton, California (N=163,484) between 1975 and 1985 and civilian workers employed

BACKGROUND Inorganic arsenic in drinking water (wAs) is linked to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, risk is uncertain at lower levels present in US community water supplies (CWS), currently regulated at the federal maximum contaminant level of 10μg/L. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the relationship between long-term wAs exposure from CWS and cardiovascular disease in the California Teachers

BACKGROUND The prevalence of toxic chemicals in US commerce has prompted some states to adopt laws to reduce exposure. One with broad reach is California's Proposition 65 (Prop 65), which established a list of chemicals that cause cancer, developmental harm, or reproductive toxicity. The law is intended to discourage businesses from using these chemicals and to minimize consumer exposure. However,

BACKGROUND Some pesticides have been shown to interfere with thyroid functions through changes in thyroid hormone (TH) levels. However, few human studies have explored associations between TH levels and environmental exposure to currently used pesticides, including neonicotinoids, phenylpyrazoles, phenoxy acids, and azoles. Moreover, such studies often measure biomarkers of exposure in urine or blood

BACKGROUND The role of environmental factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis remains elusive. Mounting evidence suggests that acute and past exposure to the environmental toxicant lead (Pb) is associated with longitudinal decline in cognitive function, brain atrophy, and greater brain β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition. However, the nature of Pb-induced amyloid deposition and how it contributes to

BACKGROUND Folic acid (FA) supplementation may attenuate the associations between gestational exposure to certain chemicals and autism or autistic-like behaviors, but to our knowledge, this has not been assessed for lead. OBJECTIVES We examined whether the relationship between gestational blood-lead levels (BLLs) and autistic-like behaviors was modified by gestational plasma total folate concentrations

BACKGROUND Risk of preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) due to hydraulic fracturing (HF) exposure is a growing concern. Regional studies have demonstrated links, but results are often contradictory among studies. OBJECTIVES This is the first US national study to our knowledge linking fracturing fluid ingredients to the human hormone pathways targeted-estrogen, testosterone, or other hormones

BACKGROUND Heat is known to affect many health outcomes, but more evidence is needed on the impact of rising temperatures on crime and/or violence. OBJECTIVES We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis regarding the influence of hot temperatures on crime and/or violence. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we evaluated the relationship between increase in temperature and crime

Certain immune cells exposed to a mixture of organophosphate esters showed changes in their function and biology. The mixture included chemicals detected in samples of house dust.

BACKGROUND Unraveling gene-environment interaction can provide a novel insight into early disease prevention. Nevertheless, current understanding of the interplay between genetic predisposition and air pollution in relation to myocardial infarction (MI) risk remains limited. Furthermore, the potential long-term influence of air pollutants on MI incidence risk warrants more conclusive evidence in a

BACKGROUND Though observational studies have widely linked air pollution exposure to various chronic diseases, evidence comparing different exposures in the same people is limited. This study examined associations between changes in air pollution exposure due to relocation and the incidence and mortality of 14 major diseases. METHODS We included 50,522 participants enrolled in the UK Biobank from 2006

BACKGROUND Exposomics, the study of the exposome, is flourishing, but the field is not well defined. The term "exposome" refers to all environmental influences and associated biological responses throughout the lifespan. However, this definition is very similar to that of the term "environment"-the external elements and conditions that surround and affect the life and development of an organism. Consequently

BACKGROUND Nighttime aircraft noise may affect people's sleep, yet large-scale evidence using objective and subjective measures remains limited. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate associations between nighttime aircraft noise exposure and objectively measured sleep disturbance using a large UK cohort. METHODS We used data from 105,770 UK Biobank cohort participants exposed and unexposed to aircraft

The well-known cotinine test captures recent smoking, and survey responses are not always accurate. Now researchers propose a measure of DNA methylation in placental tissue that may be better than either.

Health effects of climate change present different challenges to people as they age, and the risks are expected to be higher in lower-income countries. Protective actions can help.

BACKGROUND A broad suite of bisphenol S (BPS) derivatives as alternatives for BPS have been identified in various human biological samples, including 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-isopropoxyphenylsulfone (BPSIP) detected in human umbilical cord plasma and breast milk. However, very little is known about the health outcomes of prenatal BPS derivative exposure to offspring. OBJECTIVES Our study aimed to investigate

BACKGROUND Weather variability is associated with enteric infections in people through a complex interaction of human, animal, and environmental factors. Although Campylobacter infections have been previously associated with precipitation and temperature, the association between precipitation and drought on campylobacteriosis has not been studied. OBJECTIVE Using data from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico

BACKGROUND Mammographic breast density (MBD) is a strong risk factor and an intermediate phenotype for breast cancer, yet there are limited studies on how environmental pollutants are associated with MBD. OBJECTIVE We investigated associations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) levels with measures of MBD and evaluated if early

BACKGROUND Radon is a carcinogenic, radioactive gas that can accumulate indoors and is undetected by human senses. Therefore, accurate knowledge of indoor radon concentration is crucial for assessing radon-related health effects or identifying radon-prone areas. OBJECTIVES Indoor radon concentration at the national scale is usually estimated on the basis of extensive measurement campaigns. However

BACKGROUND While some evidence has potentially linked climate change to carcinogenic factors, the long-term effect of climate change on liver cancer risk largely remains unclear. OBJECTIVES Our objective is to evaluate the long-term relationship between temperature increase and liver cancer incidence in Australia. METHODS We mapped the spatial distribution of liver cancer incidence from 2001 to 2019

BACKGROUND Although recent in vitro experimental results have raised the question of whether maternal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may be a potential environmental risk factor for chromosomal abnormalities, epidemiological studies investigating these associations are lacking. OBJECTIVES This study examined whether prenatal PFAS exposure is associated with a higher prevalence

BACKGROUND Environmental contaminants (ECs) are increasingly recognized as crucial drivers of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the comprehensive impact spectrum and interlinking mechanisms remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES We aimed to systematically evaluate the association between exposure to 80 ECs across seven divergent categories and markers of dyslipidemia and investigate their underpinning

BACKGROUND Phthalates and their replacements have been implicated as developmental toxicants. Young children may be exposed to phthalates/replacements when using skin care products (SCPs). OBJECTIVES Our objective is to assess the associations between use of SCPs and children's urinary phthalate/replacement metabolite concentrations. METHODS Children (4-8 years old) from the Environmental Influences

BACKGROUND Significant progress has been made over the past decade in measuring the chemical components of the exposome, providing transformative population-scale frameworks in probing the etiologic link between environmental factors and disease phenotypes. While the analytical technologies continue to evolve with reams of data being generated, there is an opportunity to complement exposome-wide association

BACKGROUND Exposure to lead during childhood is detrimental to children's health. The extent to which the association between lead exposure and elementary school academic outcomes varies across geography is not known. OBJECTIVE Estimate associations between blood lead levels (BLLs) and fourth grade standardized test scores in reading and mathematics in North Carolina using models that allow associations

BACKGROUND Microplastics (MPs) have become a global environmental problem, emerging as contaminants with potentially alarming consequences. However, long-term exposure to polystyrene microspheres (PS-MS) and its effects on diet-induced obesity are not yet fully understood. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the effect of PS-MS exposure on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and underlying mechanisms

BACKGROUND A major industrial fire accident occurred in a tire manufacturing factory in Daejeon, Korea, on 12 March 2023 and lasted for 3 d, generating air pollutant emissions. Although evidence regarding the health effects of urban fires is limited, residents near tire factory may have experienced health hazards due to smoke exposure from fire plumes. OBJECTIVES Capitalizing on the timing of this

BACKGROUND Previous epidemiological studies have repeatedly found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure associated with higher circulating cholesterol, one of the greatest risk factors for development of coronary artery disease. The main route of cholesterol catabolism is through its conversion to bile acids, which circulate between the liver and ileum via enterohepatic circulation. Patients

BACKGROUND Exposure to arsenic (As) in well water is a well-documented public health issue for Maine and New Hampshire, as well as for other states in the United States and abroad. Arsenic contamination of well water in these locations is primarily attributed to metasedimentary bedrock that leaches As into groundwater. However, As can also enter groundwater reserves from soils contaminated by the historical

BACKGROUND While it is well-established that exposure to dampness or mold in homes negatively affects physical health, the association with mental health remains less well evidenced. As plausible psychosocial and biological pathways exist between dampness and mold exposure and poor mental health, a review of evidence is required. OBJECTIVE This State-of-the-Science review sought to assess what is known

BACKGROUND Phenols and parabens are two classes of high production volume chemicals that are used widely in consumer and personal care products and have been associated with reproductive harm and pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However, studies examining their influence on maternal blood pressure and gestational hypertension are limited. OBJECTIVES We investigated

BACKGROUND Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and disruptions in the gastrointestinal microbiota have been positively correlated with a predisposition to factors such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes; however, it is unclear how the microbiome contributes to this relationship. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the association between early life exposure to a potent

BACKGROUND Currently, many emerging polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been found to be widely present in the environment. However, little has been reported about their toxicity, particularly in relation to CYP1A1. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to explore the toxicity of naphtho[2,1-a]pyrene (N21aP) and elucidate the mechanism underlying N21aP-induced expression of CYP1A1. METHODS The concentration

BACKGROUND Dioxin-like chemicals are a group of ubiquitous environmental toxicants that received intense attention in the last two decades of the 20th century. Through extensive mechanistic research and validation, the global community has agreed upon a regulatory strategy for these chemicals that centers on their common additive activation of a single receptor. Applying these regulations has led to

BACKGROUND Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are flame retardants and plasticizers used in consumer products. OPEs are found ubiquitously throughout the environment with high concentrations in indoor house dust. Exposure to individual OPEs is associated with immune dysfunction, particularly in macrophages. However, OPEs exist as complex mixtures and the effects of environmentally relevant mixtures on the