Etzel et al., 2014
Etzel, Ruth, Charles, Marie-Aline, Dellarco, Michael, Gajeski, Katie, Jöckel, Karl-Heinz, Hirschfeld, Steven, Kamijima, Michihiro, Kawamoto, Toshihiro, Kolossa-Gehring, Marike, Nakayama, Shoji, Schmidt, Börge, Tian, Ying, Wolz, Birgit, Zaros, Cécile, & Zhang, Jun; “Harmonizing Biomarker Measurements in Longitudinal Studies of Children’s Health and the Environment;” Biomonitoring, 2014, 1(1), 50-62; DOI: 10.2478/bimo-2014-0006.
ABSTRACT:
Large scale studies of environmental influences on children’s health and development are being planned or conducted in many places, including Japan, France, Shanghai (China), the United States, and Germany. The objective of these “next generation” studies is to better understand a broad range of environmental and social factors that influence the health and well-being of children. Some of these studies are designed to enroll tens of thousands of children and follow them for many years to investigate the influence of the environment on child growth, development and health. Environment is broadly defined in these studies and includes investigation of chemical, biological, physical and socioeconomic factors. An international group composed of study teams from Japan, France, Shanghai (China), the United States, and Germany has been meeting since 2011 to exchange information and work towards harmonization of processes that would provide the opportunity to compare methods and develop procedures to conduct combined analyses of results and data pooling procedures. Harmonization of infant health outcomes, biomarkers, environmental measurements, socioeconomic and migration status has been initiated. This manuscript provides an overview of the Environment and Child Health International Birth Cohort Group and its history, describes the progress of work, and discusses the advantages of this international collaborative effort. FULL TEXT
Eguchi et al., 2017
Eguchi, A., Otake, M., Hanazato, M., Suzuki, N., Matsuno, Y., Nakaoka, H., Todaka, E., & Mori, C.; “Assessment of questionnaire-based PCB exposure focused on food frequency in birth cohorts in Japan;” Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 2017, 24(4), 3531-3538; DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-8119-6.
ABSTRACT:
We investigated the relationship between food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) responses and serum polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels of mothers and fathers recruited from the Chiba Regional Center, which is one of the 15 regional centers of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (mothers: n = 1477, fathers: n = 219). The expected PCB values were estimated from the participants’ FFQ answers and medical records (age, body mass index and number of deliveries). Based on the stepwise forward selection results of Bayesian regression models, age and fish and egg consumption were positively associated with PCB concentrations and a number of deliveries were negatively associated with PCB concentrations in mothers, whereas only age was positively associated with PCB concentrations in fathers.These findings indicated that the estimation of daily dietary intake may be useful for the prediction of PCB concentration for mothers. FULL TEXT
Farina et al., 2019
Farina, W. M., Balbuena, M. S., Herbert, L. T., Mengoni Gonalons, C., & Vazquez, D. E.; “Effects of the Herbicide Glyphosate on Honey Bee Sensory and Cognitive Abilities: Individual Impairments with Implications for the Hive;” Insects, 2019, 10(10); DOI: 10.3390/insects10100354.
ABSTRACT:
The honeybee Apis mellifera is an important pollinator in both undisturbed and agricultural ecosystems. Its great versatility as an experimental model makes it an excellent proxy to evaluate the environmental impact of agrochemicals using current methodologies and procedures in environmental toxicology. The increase in agrochemical use, including those that do not target insects directly, can have deleterious effects if carried out indiscriminately. This seems to be the case of the herbicide glyphosate (GLY), the most widely used agrochemical worldwide. Its presence in honey has been reported in samples obtained from different environments. Hence, to understand its current and potential risks for this pollinator it has become essential to not only study the effects on honeybee colonies located in agricultural settings, but also its effects under laboratory conditions. Subtle deleterious effects can be detected using experimental approaches. GLY negatively affects associative learning processes of foragers, cognitive and sensory abilities of young hive bees and promotes delays in brood development. An integrated approach that considers behavior, physiology, and development allows not only to determine the effects of this agrochemical on this eusocial insect from an experimental perspective, but also to infer putative effects in disturbed environments where it is omnipresent. FULL TEXT
Kwiatkowski et al., 2016
Kwiatkowski, C. F., Bolden, A. L., Liroff, R. A., Rochester, J. R., & Vandenbergh, J. G.; “Twenty-Five Years of Endocrine Disruption Science: Remembering Theo Colborn;” Environmental Health Perspectives, 2016, 124(9), A151-154; DOI: 10.1289/EHP746
SUMMARY:
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Theo Colborn (1927–2014) dedicated herself to studying the harmful effects of endocrinedisrupting chemicals on wildlife, humans, and the environment. More recently, she extended this effort to address the health impacts of unconventional oil and gas development. Colborn was a visionary leader who excelled at synthesizing scientific findings across disciplines. Using her unique insights and strong moral convictions, she changed the face of toxicological research, influenced chemical regulatory policy, and educated the public. In 2003, Colborn started a nonprofit organization—The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX). As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of endocrine disruption science, TEDX continues her legacy of analyzing the extensive body of environmental health research and developing unique educational resources to support public policy and education. Among other tools, TEDX currently uses the systematic review framework developed by the National Toxicology Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, to answer research questions of pressing concern. In this article, we pay homage to the tenacious woman and the exemplary contribution she made to the field of environmental health. Recommendations for the future of the field are drawn from her wisdom. FULL TEXT
McEwen et al., 2019
McEwen, L. M., O’Donnell, K. J., McGill, M. G., Edgar, R. D., Jones, M. J., MacIsaac, J. L., Lin, D. T. S., Ramadori, K., Morin, A., Gladish, N., Garg, E., Unternaehrer, E., Pokhvisneva, I., Karnani, N., Kee, M. Z. L., Klengel, T., Adler, N. E., Barr, R. G., Letourneau, N., Giesbrecht, G. F., Reynolds, J. N., Czamara, D., Armstrong, J. M., Essex, M. J., de Weerth, C., Beijers, R., Tollenaar, M. S., Bradley, B., Jovanovic, T., Ressler, K. J., Steiner, M., Entringer, S., Wadhwa, P. D., Buss, C., Bush, N. R., Binder, E. B., Boyce, W. T., Meaney, M. J., Horvath, S., & Kobor, M. S.; “The PedBE clock accurately estimates DNA methylation age in pediatric buccal cells;” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820843116.
ABSTRACT:
The development of biological markers of aging has primarily focused on adult samples. Epigenetic clocks are a promising tool for measuring biological age that show impressive accuracy across most tissues and age ranges. In adults, deviations from the DNA methylation (DNAm) age prediction are correlated with several age-related phenotypes, such as mortality and frailty. In children, however, fewer such associations have been made, possibly because DNAm changes are more dynamic in pediatric populations as compared to adults. To address this gap, we aimed to develop a highly accurate, noninvasive, biological measure of age specific to pediatric samples using buccal epithelial cell DNAm. We gathered 1,721 genome-wide DNAm profiles from 11 different cohorts of typically developing individuals aged 0 to 20 y old. Elastic net penalized regression was used to select 94 CpG sites from a training dataset (n = 1,032), with performance assessed in a separate test dataset (n = 689). DNAm at these 94 CpG sites was highly predictive of age in the test cohort (median absolute error = 0.35 y). The Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic (PedBE) clock was characterized in additional cohorts, showcasing the accuracy in longitudinal data, the performance in nonbuccal tissues and adult age ranges, and the association with obstetric outcomes. The PedBE tool for measuring biological age in children might help in understanding the environmental and contextual factors that shape the DNA methylome during child development, and how it, in turn, might relate to child health and disease. FULL TEXT
Pochron et al., 2019
Pochron, S., Simon, L., Mirza, A., Littleton, A., Sahebzada, F., & Yudell, M.; “Glyphosate but not Roundup(R) harms earthworms (Eisenia fetida);” Chemosphere, 2019, 241, 125017; DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125017.
ABSTRACT:
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup(R) formulations. While multiple studies have documented the toxicity, environmental persistence, and tendency to spread for glyphosate and Roundup(R), few studies have compared the toxicity of glyphosate-based formulations to the toxicity of pure glyphosate for soil invertebrates, which contact both the herbicide and the formulations. Hundreds of formulations exist; their inert ingredients are confidential; and glyphosate persists in our food, water, and soil. In this experiment, we held glyphosate type and concentration constant, varying only formulation. Using Roundup Ready-to-Use III(R), Roundup Super Concentrate(R), and pure glyphosate, we delivered 26.3mg glyphosate in the form of isopropylamine salt per kg of soil to compost worms (Eisenia fetida). We found that worms living in soil spiked with pure glyphosate lost 14.8-25.9% of their biomass and survived a stress test for 22.2-33.3% less time than worms living in uncontaminated soil. Worms living in soil spiked with Roundup Ready-to-Use III(R) and Roundup Super Concentrate(R) did not lose body mass and survived the stress test as well as worms living in uncontaminated soil. No contaminant affected soil microbial or fungal biomass over the 40-day period of this experiment. We suggest that the nitrates and phosphates in the formulations offset the toxic effects of glyphosate by spurring microbial growth and speeding glyphosate degradation. We also found a 26.5-41.3% reduction in fungal biomass across all treatments over the course of this experiment, suggesting that the worms consumed fungi and spores. FULL TEXT
Zmora et al., 2019
Zmora, N., Suez, J., & Elinav, E.; “You are what you eat: diet, health and the gut microbiota;” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2019, 16(1), 35-56; DOI: 10.1038/s41575-018-0061-2.
ABSTRACT:
Since the renaissance of microbiome research in the past decade, much insight has accumulated in comprehending forces shaping the architecture and functionality of resident microorganisms in the human gut. Of the multiple host-endogenous and host-exogenous factors involved, diet emerges as a pivotal determinant of gut microbiota community structure and function. By introducing dietary signals into the nexus between the host and its microbiota, nutrition sustains homeostasis or contributes to disease susceptibility. Herein, we summarize major concepts related to the effect of dietary constituents on the gut microbiota, highlighting chief principles in the diet-microbiota crosstalk. We then discuss the health benefits and detrimental consequences that the interactions between dietary and microbial factors elicit in the host. Finally, we present the promises and challenges that arise when seeking to incorporate microbiome data in dietary planning and portray the anticipated revolution that the field of nutrition is facing upon adopting these novel concepts. FULL TEXT
Tsiaoussis et al., 2019
Tsiaoussis, J., Antoniou, M. N., Koliarakis, I., Mesnage, R., Vardavas, C. I., Izotov, B. N., Psaroulaki, A., & Tsatsakis, A.; “Effects of single and combined toxic exposures on the gut microbiome: Current knowledge and future directions;” Toxicology Letters, 2019, 312, 72-97; DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2019.04.014.
ABSTRACT:
Human populations are chronically exposed to mixtures of toxic chemicals. Predicting the health effects of these mixtures require a large amount of information on the mode of action of their components. Xenobiotic metabolism by bacteria inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract has a major influence on human health. Our review aims to explore the literature for studies looking to characterize the different modes of action and outcomes of major chemical pollutants, and some components of cosmetics and food additives, on gut microbial communities in order to facilitate an estimation of their potential mixture effects. We identified good evidence that exposure to heavy metals, pesticides, nanoparticles, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls, and non-caloric artificial sweeteners affect the gut microbiome and which is associated with the development of metabolic, malignant, inflammatory, or immune diseases. Answering the question ‘Who is there?’ is not sufficient to define the mode of action of a toxicant in predictive modeling of mixture effects. Therefore, we recommend that new studies focus to simulate real-life exposure to diverse chemicals (toxicants, cosmetic/food additives), including as mixtures, and which combine metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metabolomic analytical methods achieving in that way a comprehensive evaluation of effects on human health. FULL TEXT
Marks et al., 2010
Marks, A. R., Harley, K., Bradman, A., Kogut, K., Barr, D. B., Johnson, C., Calderon, N., & Eskenazi, B.; “Organophosphate pesticide exposure and attention in young Mexican-American children: the CHAMACOS study;” Environmental Health Perspectives, 2010, 118(12), 1768-1774; DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002056.
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, well-known neurotoxicants, has been associated with neurobehavioral deficits in children.
OBJECTIVES:
We investigated whether OP exposure, as measured by urinary dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites in pregnant women and their children, was associated with attention-related outcomes among Mexican-American children living in an agricultural region of California.
METHODS:
Children were assessed at ages 3.5 years (n = 331) and 5 years (n = 323). Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). We administered the NEPSY-II visual attention subtest to children at 3.5 years and Conners’ Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) at 5 years. The K-CPT yielded a standardized attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Confidence Index score. Psychometricians scored behavior of the 5-year-olds during testing using the Hillside Behavior Rating Scale.
RESULTS:
Prenatal DAPs (nanomoles per liter) were nonsignificantly associated with maternal report of attention problems and ADHD at age 3.5 years but were significantly related at age 5 years [CBCL attention problems: beta = 0.7 points; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2-1.2; ADHD: beta = 1.3; 95% CI, 0.4-2.1]. Prenatal DAPs were associated with scores on the K-CPT ADHD Confidence Index > 70th percentile [odds ratio (OR) = 5.1; 95% CI, 1.7-15.7] and with a composite ADHD indicator of the various measures (OR = 3.5; 95% CI, 1.1-10.7). Some outcomes exhibited evidence of effect modification by sex, with associations found only among boys. There was also limited evidence of associations between child DAPs and attention.
CONCLUSIONS:
In utero DAPs and, to a lesser extent, postnatal DAPs were associated adversely with attention as assessed by maternal report, psychometrician observation, and direct assessment. These associations were somewhat stronger at 5 years than at 3.5 years and were stronger in boys. FULL TEXT
Kruger et al., 2013
Kruger, Monika, Shehata, Awad Ali, Schrodl, Wieland, & Rodloff, Arne; “Glyphosate suppresses the antagonistic effect of Enterococcus spp. on Clostridium botulinum;” Anaerobe, 2013, 20, 74-78; DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.01.005.
ABSTRACT:
During the last 10-15 years, an increase of Clostridium botulinum associated diseases in cattle has been observed in Germany. The reason for this development is currently unknown. The normal intestinal microflora is a critical factor in preventing intestinal colonisation by C. botulinum as shown in the mouse model of infant botulism. Numerous bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) produce bacteriocines directed against C. botulinum and other pathogens: Lactic acid producing bacteria (LAB) such as lactobacilli, lactococci and enterococci, generate bacteriocines that are effective against Clostridium spp. A reduction of LAB in the GIT microbiota by ingestion of strong biocides like glyphosate could be an explanation for the observed increase in levels of C. botulinum associated diseases. In the present paper, we report on the toxicity of glyphosate to the most prevalent Enterococcus spp. in the GIT. Ingestion of this herbicide could be a significant predisposing factor that is associated with the increase in C. botulinum mediated diseases in cattle. FULL TEXT