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Pre-natal exposure to chemicals affects fat tissue in offspring

Pre-natal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been associated with raised levels of childhood fat tissue, a precursor to obesity in a study published in the last week.    Urine samples collected from 341 women during pregnancy were tested for a total of 25 chemicals including phenols, parabens, and phthalates. Urines tests from their offspring … Continued

Concentrations of microplastics in the brain are rising

Microplastic and nanoplastic particle concentrations in the brain are rising – that is the conclusion of new research at the University of New Mexico. Analysis of postmortem brain tissue found concentrations of micro and nanoplastics known as MNPs were higher in tests carried out during 2024 when compared to levels detected in 2016. Brain tissue … Continued

Rye grass ‘weeds’ resistance to glyphosate

It’s widely known that crop fields are routinely sprayed with pesticides and herbicides such as glyphosate to keep weeds down and boost crop yields. But it’s perhaps less understood that crop fields are also routinely sprayed with glyphosate before spring crops are planted, to clear stubbles before seeds are drilled into soil.    Glyphosate is … Continued

Alcohol and cancer risk

A health advisory in January to the American people has issued a stark warning to raise awareness of the health risks of alcohol consumption and increases in rates of avoidable cancers. The Surgeon General’s Advisory states that 741,300 global deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2020, ranging from daily consumption of less than 2 units up … Continued

Our most read updates of 2024 about environmental toxins and health impacts

2024 has seen major steps forward in our understanding of the impacts of exposure to environmental toxins detected in body fluids and cells, and their subsequent impacts of human health. In our final post this year, here are some of our most read news updates of 2024 about the links between exposure to environmental toxins, … Continued

Christmas trees – real or artificial?

We buy around 7 million real Christmas trees each year with 80% grown in 1500 UK based Christmas tree farms. It’s estimated that one hectare of trees adds enough oxygen to the environment for 44 people during the tree’s lifespan.   In comparison the carbon footprint of an artificial Christmas tree is 40 kg of … Continued

Pre-natal exposure to everyday chemicals raises child asthma risk

Exposure to alkylphenols, a group of chemicals used in everyday cleaning products has been linked with higher rates of asthma in children at age four whose mothers were exposed to this group of chemicals during pregnancy. This is the disturbing finding of a new study of 3500 mother-child pairs living in Japan. Researchers measured urinary concentrations … Continued

Endocrine disrupting chemicals and male fertility

A new study investigating the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on male reproductive health has examined correlations between multiple exposures of 12 chemicals found in everyday personal care and consumer products and 13 metabolites of phthalates and plasticizers, and their combined impact on sex steroid hormone levels in adult males.    Researchers applied multiple … Continued

Are flame retardants lurking in your recycled plastic utensils?

It’s probably not surprising that when plastics are recycled, much of their chemical composition travels with them into recycled plastic items. Plastics manufactured for electronics products such as cables are modified by adding chemicals with flame retardant properties to meet safety standards. So what happens when these plastics are recycled, where do the flame retardants … Continued

Environmental effects on brain development

A new study of 1000’s of children and adolescents in the Netherlands has concluded that exposure to ambient air pollution during early life can have long terms effects on the development of white matter in the brain. The study investigated links between early childhood exposure to air pollution and the development of white matter microstructures of the … Continued

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