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ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR NEWS ARCHIVE:
JANUARY - DECEMBER 2002
May/June / April / March / January/February

MAY/JUNE 2002 (Posted 20 June 02)

NEWS ROUNDUP

Children's study and information campaign underway

Planning and organizing are underway for a large, long-term research study that will follow 100,000 US children from before birth, through childhood and adolescence, and into adulthood. The National Children's Study of Environmental Effects on Health and Safety is designed to improve the health of children through better understanding of the good and bad environmental influences on children's health and development. The broad study will investigate chemical, physical, social, and behavioral influences on children. One outcome will be a better understanding of the role of these factors on health and disease, especially neurodevelopmental, immunological, and injury conditions. A consortium of government institutes and agencies, led by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), is working with community, parent, advocacy, and industry groups to organize and carry out the 20-plus-year study. For more about the study design, advisory committee, partners, and progress, see the Web site at http://nationalchildrensstudy.gov/.

In a related area, The Center for Childen's Health and Environment (CCHE) at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York launched a series of advertisements and is using a Web site and public appearances to inform and urge the public to push for more efforts to understand the effects of chemicals on human health, particularly children's health (see On the Web below). About 25 percent more children have brain cancer and 21 percent more children have leukemia today than in the 1960s. Better treatment helps keep more of them alive but the causes have not been investigated. Some, like Philip Landrigan, the CCHE's director, believe more research is needed to determine if the chemical milieu we all live in has any relationship to these rises in childhood cancers and other maladies - such as premature puberty, testicular cancer, and hypospadias in boys - that may be more associated with endocrine disrupting chemicals. The rising interest in understanding the relationship between contaminants and children's health is fueled in recent years by increasing disease rates and the understanding that kids' have a greater vulnerability to chemicals than adults due to their smaller size and increased exposure. (Toxic chemicals seen contributing to increased childhood illness. Cox News Service (InteliHealth, Online), 12 June 02.)

Hormone disruptor research bill in House

A bill to authorize the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to conduct and coordinate a research program on hormone disrupting chemicals was introduced to the US House of Representatives on May 9, 2002. Rep. Louise Slaughter (New York, Democrat) introduced the Hormone Disruption Research Act of 2002, which calls for $500 million to fund the first five years beginning in 2003. If passed, H.R. 4709 will amend the Public Health Services Act by adding a national program of research on hormone disruption that will research the impact, occurrence, and effects of hormone disrupting chemicals on human, wildlife, and ecological health. Issues surrounding the understanding of low-dose effects, mechanisms of action, testing methods, and environmental fate will receive special emphasis. The bill designates funding to establish and coordinate a multi-agency research initiative called the "Hormone Disruption Research Interagency Commission," coordinate research in the US with efforts in other countries, and report every two years on human and environmental health threat from these substances. To access a copy of H.R. 4709, go to the Congressional Bills section of the United States Congress Web site at http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong009.html, select "Congressional Bills 107th," and type "Hormone Disruption Research Act of 2002" (with quotes) in the search box at the bottom of the page. (Posted May 14, 2002)

Similar actions are underway in Europe. The European Commission (EC) will begin an $18 million research program in 10 countries to study effects of endocrine disruptors on humans, wildlife, and laboratory animals. The EC will use the results to guide regulatory policies for the substances. (EU launches study on "gender bending" chemicals. Reuters News Service (Online, Planet Ark), 16 May 02.)

EPA and ACC partner to research chemical effects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the governments environmental regulatory agency, and the American Chemical Council (ACC), an industry organization formerly called the Chemical Manufacturers Association, will collaborate on research into the effects of chemicals on humans immune systems and wildlife populations. The two disparate groups will "coordinate on two multi-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) to better understand the potential effects of chemicals on fetal and childhood immune system development, and the potential impacts of endocrine mimicking chemicals on wildlife populations," according to a recent Environment News Service article. One line of research will identify how chemicals influence the developing immune system in laboratory animals so that test methods can be developed to assess health dangers for children and adults. Another area focuses on molecular-level gene array technology to better evaluate effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals in amphibians and fish. The research projects are partly funded through the ACC's and industry's Long Range Research Initiative, which has committed $25 million a year since 1999 to better understand the impact chemicals may have on humans, wildlife, and the environment. (EPA, chemical industry study environmental effects. Environment News Service (Online), 3 June 02.)

Government embroiled over atrazine regulations

The US government is facing difficult debates and legal and scientific battles as it continues the long process of writing new regulations for the use of atrazine, reports the New York Times in a lengthy and detailed article published on June 2, 2002. Atrazine, the most widely used pesticide in the US, is linked to cancer in humans and reproductive abnormalities in frogs (See April 2002 ED News, Intersex frogs result of atrazine exposure.). The latest research linking atrazine with intersex conditions in laboratory frogs exposed to doses found in the environment may force the EPA to again postpone its ruling on the chemical's use and safety. Syngenta AG of Switzerland, which manufactures the pesticide and is being sued by workers who claim atrazine gave them prostate cancer, accuses the EPA of being too cautious while environmental groups charge the agency is too lenient. Currently, the pesticide is listed as a possible carcinogen but, as the EPA takes another look at the scientific evidence suggesting prostate cancer and frog abnormalities, the agency could redesginate the pesticide and enforce stricter regulations (with a possible ban, as in some European countries) on its use and manufacture.

For more see:

News briefs

  • DDT and animal rights debates. Of note this month are two ongoing debates that highlight the challenges facing modern science and governments when balancing animal and human health safety.
    • The first debate centers on DDT and the 30th anniversary of its US ban. This endocrine-disrupting pesticide is no longer used in some countries because of its long-term effects on wildlife (ie, bird eggshell thinning leading to declining US eagle population in the 1970s) and human health. However, some countries still use the pesticide to control mosquitoes that carry and transmit malaria, a disease that kills many people each year. In a recent editorial and press release, the American Council on Science and Health argue that millions have died and more will continue to succumb unnecessarily to malaria due to the DDT ban. (See Seavey, Todd. The DDT ban turns 30 - Millions dead of malaria because of ban, more deaths likely. Special Report, American Council on Science and Health, June 02. (See Press Release: Thirtieth anniversary of misguided ban on DDT)

    • The second disagreement, outlined by Joan Lowy in a recent Scripps Howard News Service article, pits animal rights activists against environmentalists. The controversy exists over using possibly a million laboratory animals to test the safety of thousands of chemicals slated for study under the federal government's endocrine-disrupting screening programs. In what might seem as an unlikely pairing, the animals rights groups have joined with industry and are using legal court challenges to block the testing programs. Environmentalists say not that many animals will be used and that the chemicals need to be tested for long-term, population-wide human and wildlife safety. Animal rights activists say too many laboratory animals will die in the process. (See Lowy, Joan. Animal rights, environmental groups face off over animal lab testing. Scripps Howard News Service, 21 May 02.)

  • Chemicals alter songbird behavior. Researchers at the University of California at Davis find that estrogenic chemicals hinder a songbird's ability to reproduce. In the studies, females finch chicks fed estradiol sang as adults (something males only do); male finch chicks fed estradiol were infertile as adults; and adults exposed to estradiol exposure had fewer offspring due to brittle and infertile eggs. Researchers suggest exposure to environmental estrogens, such as residual hormones in sewage water from birth control pills and other pharmaceuticals, as well as synthetic hormone mimics, such as DDT and other chemicals, could affect sexual development and function of wild birds. (Environmental estrogens could hamper songbird breeding. Environment News Service (Online), 29 May 02.)

  • DES maker liable for cancer. Belgian pharmaceuticals manufacturer UCB Pharma is liable for cancer in two women whose mothers took the synthetic estrogen Distilbene (diethylstilbestrol or DES) when pregnant, a French court ruled. DES was given to women to prevent miscarriages but has been shown to cause cancer in the children exposed prenatally to the drug. (Court rules drug maker liable for cancer. Yahoo News, 24 May 02.)

  • Another mercury alert. Pregnant women, women who intend to become pregnant, infants, and children under 16 years of age should avoid eating shark, swordfish and marlin due to high levels of mercury in these fish, said the UK Food Standards Agency. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a similar warning in January 2001, and Health Canada suggests limiting shark, swordfish, and tuna to one meal a week. All fish contain some methylmercury, which, as a neurotoxin, impairs brain function and development. Mercury food alert issued for swordfish, shark. Environment News Service (Online), 13 May 02.)

  • Be careful using DEET. A researcher cautions the public to be safe rather than sorry when using the popular mosquito and tick repellent called DEET. The insecticide, available in many insect control products, may be harmful when applied frequently by itself or used in combination with medications or other chemicals. Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Doniaother's research found that DEET can kill brain cells and cause behavioral changes in rats. He recommends more testing, never using repellents on infants and only infrequently on older children, and never combining insecticides or using them with medications. (DEET linked to neurological damage. Environment News Service (Online), 10 May 02.)

  • Pollution kills children. Thousands of children die every day due to pollution-related diseases resulting from exposure to contaminated air, water, and food, according to the new United Nations report Children in the New Millennium: Environmental Impact on Health. Children are about 10 percent of the world's population yet account for more than 40 percent of the disease burden attributed to environmental factors. In addition to conditions such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malnutrition, long-term exposure to toxic chemicals, such as lead and pesticides, can cause permanent neurological and developmental disorders in children. Endocrine disrupting chemicals also adversely affect children's health. The UN committee wishes to increase awareness of children's special vulnerabilities to environmental factors so changes can be made to improve their health. (Pollution kills thousands of children. Environment News Service (Online), 10 May 02.)

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JOURNAL SCAN

Featured paper

  • Phytoestrogen weakens mouse immune system. Large amounts of a plant estrogen found in soy weakened mouse immune systems but the study's relevance to humans is unknown, concludes a study published in the May 28 Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences. Researchers injected or fed mice lacking reproductive organs the soy estrogen genistein, which has been linked to reproductive cancers. The higher the doses, the smaller the mice's thymus, a small organ involved in immune cell production, became. The organ also produced fewer immune cells. About one quarter (750,000) of US infants are fed soy-based formula each year, says the article, underscoring the main reason why understanding the ill effects of very high doses of soy is a concern. (Harder, B. Look ma, too much soy: Hormone in infant food reduces immunity in mice. Science News, 25 May 02: 325; and Yellayi, S., et al. The phytoestrogen genistein induces thymic and immune changes: A human health concern? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(May 28):7616-7621, 2002.)

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GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

Recent Government Reports

  • Revised Organophosphate Pesticides Cumulative Risk Assessment. US Environmental Protection Agency. 10 June 2002. Access HTML or PDF files from the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative/pra-op. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has assessed more than 1,000 pesticide tolerance levels (residue limits) for safety using a new method that analyzes cumulative risk from potential exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OP). Pesticide use and exposure in food, water, and residential uses as well as geographical, age, and seasonal variations were incorporated in the risk assessment model. In this revised report, the agency concludes that water is not a significant risk source and that 28 of 30 compounds studied are safe and meet the governments strictest safety standards. Dichlorvos and dimethoate were linked to health problems and could be limited or banned. This report, which describes the potential risks of OPs by giving a range of safe tolerance estimates, follows a December 1, 2001, report that assessed the methods used to describe cumulative risk from organophosphate pesticides. The EPA's monumental task of reassessing pesticide safety and taking action where needed, including lowering tolerance levels, banning the chemical, or limiting its uses, is required by the Food Quality and Protection Act of 1996. The EPA held a technical briefing on June 18 to explain the risk assessment methodologies, will meet with the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel June 25-28 (see Federal Register below), and is accepting comments on the process until July 10, 2002. (See Pesticide review finds little risk. Environment News Service, 13 June 02; and EPA OKs safety of many pesticides. Associated Press (InteliHealth, Online), 11 June 02.

  • National Air Toxic Assessment. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 3 Jun 2002. Access the report online at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/. This report uses 1996 air emissions data to identify geographical areas of most concern and estimate health risks from 32 toxic chemicals released from a variety of sources. The report concludes that toxic chemicals pose an elevated cancer risk to two-thirds (about 200 million people) of Americans living across the country and also contribute to respiratory problems. The cancer risk is higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's minimum level of concern and may increase a person's lifetime cancer risk causing 10 additional cancers for every 1 million people. Some areas have a higher risk of an additional 100 cancers for every 1 million people. The major source of airborne toxins are car and truck emissions with power plants and other industrial sources also contributing. The country-wide assessment evaluates air toxins, identifies those of greatest risk to the entire population, and contributes information to priority-setting collection goals. Another report using more recent data will be published next year. (Study accesses risk of toxic chemicals. Associated Press (Online, New York Times), 1 May 02.

  • Toxics Release Inventory. US Environmental Protection Agency. May 2002. Access HTML or PDF files from the Web site at http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri00/index.htm. In May, the Environmental Protection Agency released industry emissions data from the year 2000 in its annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). Several persistent chemicals that bioaccumulate, which are of concern even in small quantities and include endocrine disrupting chemicals, were added this year, including dioxins, long-lived, highly toxic compounds. Industries report on more than 650 toxic chemicals and toxic chemical categories released from about 23,000 power plants, factories, mines, and other operations to the EPA, which then publishes the information publicly. The TRI data and corresponding reports are available online and can be searched by zip code for information about a specific facility's toxic releases. (Shogren, E. EPA Posts first figures on dioxin releases in environment. Los Angeles Times, 24 May 02.

  • The Foundation for Global Action on Persistent Organic Pollutants: A United States Perspective. USEPA EPA/600/P-01/003F. 01 Mar 2002. National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 167 pp. Download a PDF file from the Web site at http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=51746 or order a paper copy or CD ROM from EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242; phone: 1-800-490-9198 or (513) 489-8190; Fax: (513) 489-8695. The purpose of this report is to inform decision makers, general academia, and the public on the scientific foundation and relevance to the United States of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

  • Environmental Signals 2002. Environmental Assessment Report No. 9. 14 May 2002. European Environment Agency. 149 pp. Download a PDF file from the Web site at http://reports.eea.eu.int/environmental_assessment_report_2002_9/en. The third annual assessment of European environmental issues analyzes trends and shows that some natural resource pressures are lessening while some are increasing. The report examines a wide range of issues relating to households, transport, energy, agriculture, fisheries, air pollution, waterways, waste, land, and forests.

Federal Register

  • Vinclozolin: Revoking of tolerances for this fungicide in or on strawberries, stone fruits, cucumbers, and bell peppers. See the June 12 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr12jn02-10). (Posted 17 June 02)

  • FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel: Public meeting June 25-27, 2002 to update the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (FIFRA SAP) on 1) the status of preliminary results from cumulative risk estimates for organophosphate pesticides (OP) using alternative models (Calendex\TM\, LifeLine\TM\, and CARES\TM\) and similar input data and parameters, and 2) review cumulative risk assessments for organophosphate pesticides, susceptibility and age dependent sensitivity. See the May 31 Federal Register notice (DOCID: DOCID:fr31my02-89). (Posted 17 June 02)

  • Non-contributing organophosphate tolerances: The EPA reassessed 275 organophosphate pesticides that have been found not to contribute to cumulative risk from the pesticides. This first group of noncontributing chemicals are divided into four categories, present minimal or no detectable residues in food, and are expected to have negligible effects through drinking water. Comments on approach and methodology due by June 21, 2002. See the May 22 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr22my02-50). (Posted 18 June 02)

  • Methidathion: Availability of interim reregistration eligibility decision document for this organophosphate pesticide. See the May 15 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr15my02-75). (Posted 16 May 02)

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ON THE WEB

Center for Children's Health and the Environment
A new series of advertisements appearing in the New York Times and the Center for Children's Health and the Environment (CCHE) Web site stir emotions - and maybe come controversy - by linking exposure to toxic chemicals and possible human health effects. The four ads, sponsored by the CCHE and paid for by the Rockefeller Family Fund, feature pictures of children and adults next to headlines that question why more children are getting sick, are suffering from emotional problems, and are at risk from environmental contamination. More information on the science supporting the ads, the scientists endorsing the ads, and other children's health information can be found at http://www.childenvironment.org/. The Center, established in 1998 and located at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, conducts environmental health and policy research examining links between exposure to toxic pollutants and childhood illness.

Kids and Chemicals
The transcript from the recently broadcast NOW with Bill Moyers' report "Are We Poisoning Our Children?" is available on the Public Broadcasting System's Web site at http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript117_full.html. The program, which aired May 10, 2002, features scientific experts and ordinary parents discussing the effects of chemicals on children's health and well-being.

TOXNET Updated
TOXNET, the US National Library of Medicine's cluster of databases on toxicology, environmental health, and hazardous chemicals, has a new look with updated features to make searching easier, faster, and more reliable. Among other improvements, users can now search all TOXNET databases at the same time and modify searches from the results page.

New Haz-MapDatabase Launched
A new online, searchable database supplies occupational health and toxicology information for those interested in discovering which jobs have the highest health risks. The US National Library of Medicine launched Haz-Map to link jobs and hazardous job-related tasks to exposure to chemicals and occupational diseases and their symptoms. Browse or search the site by hazardous agent, occupational diseases, or high-risk jobs.

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BOOKS, REPORTS, GRANTS, & MORE

New Journal: Environmental Health solicits papers.
Environmental Health, A Global Access Science Source, is a new free and open access online journal covering all aspects of environmental and occupational medicine and related studies in toxicology and epidemiology. The editors are seeking submissions for future issues. This new, peer-reviewed journal is published by BioMed Central and indexed and archived in PubMed, the National Institutes of Health's research database. The publishing authors retain copyright and can check how many people have accessed the article. For author's guidelines, publication costs (a $500 processing charge to ensure rapid publishing, secure archiving, and searching/retrieving of articles will be waived until November 6, 2002), and other journal details, see http://ehjournal.net/start.asp.

Job: Chief, Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Job No.: HNV02-23. For details, see http://www.niehs.nih.gov/vacancy/tenutrac/hnv02-23.htm. Deadline: July 15, 2002.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) seeks a senior tenured investigator to direct the Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology (LMT) of the Environmental Toxicology Program, Division of Intramural Research. The candidate shall develop and maintain a strong intramural research effort in the general area of molecular toxicology, particularly as it relates to defining critical target pathways, genes, and cellular mechanisms of target organ responses to environmental factors and lead other principle investigators studying toxicological processes including genetics, immunology, neurobiology, reproductive, and developmental biology. The candidate should have an M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degree in an environmental health science discipline with an international reputation in a specific area of molecular toxicology and its relationship to environmental factors/exposure, especially in the areas of neurodevelopmental biology/toxicology, neurodegenerative toxicology, or reproductive biology/toxicology. For additional information, contact Dr. John Pritchard, Search Committee Chair, at (919) 541-4054. Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a plan for future research program, and arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent by July 15, 2002, to : Ms. Celestine Edwards (HNV02-23), NIEHS Human Resource Management Branch, PO Box 12233, Maildrop NH-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; Phone: (919) 316-4602; e-mail: edwards3@niehs.nih.gov.

Report: Environmental Health Risks: Information on EPA's Draft Reassessment of Dioxins. Government Accounting Office, April 26, 2002, 72 pp. Report No. GAO-02-515. To order a free print copy, contact GAO's Document Distribution Center at (202) 512-6000 or download a PDF of the report.

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APRIL 2002 (Posted 9 May 02)

NEWS ROUNDUP

Scientists suspect parasite causes frog deformities

Researchers who surveyed more than 12,000 amphibians from 11 species in five western states found that sites with the trematode parasite Ribeiroia ondatrae had six times more amphibian malformations than the average number of abnormalities at sites without the parasite. The study's results are published in the May issue of the journal Ecological Monographs. Although no relationship was found with pesticides, scientists think human-caused environmental alterations, particularly more nitrogen, are behind the rise in abnormalities, which include missing or extra limbs. Nitrogen from fertilizers runs off the ground into waterways where it may fuel algae, possibly raising the number of snails that feed on the algae and the number of the wormlike parasites that live part of their life in the snails, say researchers.

Intersex frogs result of atrazine exposure

In laboratory studies, up to 20 percent of adult frogs that were exposed to low doses (0.1 - 200 parts per billion (ppb)) of the common herbicide atrazine during development had multiple reproductive organs including ovaries, testis, and combinations of both. In addition, males exposed to 1 ppb and higher doses of atrazine when forming had a smaller larynx, an important muscle used to call for and attract mates, than the controls. The researchers found effects on adults as well. Mature males exposed to 25 ppb for more than a month had 10 times lower testosterone levels than the controls. Like other environmental scientists, the University of California at Berkeley researchers who conducted the study think atrazine interferes with hormone production by causing frog cells to release more aramatase, an enzyme that converts testosterone (male hormone) to estrogen. Higher estrogen levels could alter amphibian development and feminize males. Since amphibians spend their life in water and are probably exposed to the low levels of atrazine tested here, lead author Tyrone Hayes and colleagues speculate that these reproductive anomalies could be contributing to declining amphibian populations. Results are published in the April 16 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Atrazine is found throughout the aquatic environment (waterways, precipitation, drinking water, etc.) and is especially prevalent in Midwestern agricultural areas where it is used to control weeds on corn, soybeans, and other crops. The herbicide is applied in spring when water runoff is high due to spring rains and melting snow. This is also the exact time frogs are mating and their eggs developing in the ponds and streams that receive the runoff water. Last October at the e.hormone 2001 meetings in New Orleans, Hayes reported finding similar types of intersex leopard frogs in several Midwestern states. The US Environmental Protection Agency allows 3 ppb of atrazine in drinking water but higher amounts are commonly found in the environment, such as 42 ppb in surface water, 102 in rivers in agricultural areas, up to 2,300 in stagnant pools in Midwestern agricultural areas, and up to 40 in rain in agricultural areas where it is used.

For more see:

DES: Generational effects seen in humans

For the first time, new evidence suggests that the synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) can affect another generation in humans. Laboratory studies have confirmed this long-term legacy in mice. In this study, Dutch researchers found a higher risk for hypospadias in grandsons whose grandmothers took DES while pregnant with the mother. The scientists surveyed 16,284 mothers with a total of 8,934 sons of which 205 reported pre-birth DES exposure. Four of the 205 had hypospadias, about a 20 percent higher risk than the 8 cases reported in the other 8,729 boys. How the synthetic hormone given to women from the 1950s to the 1970s to prevent miscarriages may affect the sons is not clear. Researchers speculate that DES may damage the developing eggs that were forming in the mother at the time of exposure; permanently alter hormone production in the DES-exposed mother thus skewing the hormonal balance for her developing baby boy; or change the uterus and its normal functions and thus the baby's pre-birth environment. This study's results are not absolute, however, due to a small sample size (only 4 DES-exposed cases that were self-reported), but they are intriguing and worthy of more research, according to experts in the field. Hypospadias, an increasingly common birth defect in boys, is a condition where the opening at the tip of the penis is translocated to the front side of the penis or the scrotum. The anomaly, while not life-threatening, can take many surgeries to fix, may interfere with urination and reproduction, and may cause stress later in life. Although DES is long banned for human consumption in the US, it is possible that other endocrine disruptors may have similar kinds of long-lasting health effects, too.

For more on DES and its intergenerational effects, see the review article by SH Swan, Intrauterine exposure to diethylstilbestrol: Long-term effects in humans. (APMIS (Acta Pathologica Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica) 2000; 108:793-804.)

News briefs

  • Research can confuse rather than clarify health issues. With some public health issues, scientific studies yield contradictory results that can confuse rather than answer questions of safety and health benefits. Recently, two major types of scientific studies - observational and clinical - have given opposing results regarding long-term benefits of estrogen replacement therapy. Researchers quoted in this article discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and controversies of observational studies and randomized clinical trial studies regarding estrogen replacement therapy. (Kolata, G. In public health, definitive data can be elusive. New York Times (Online), 23 Apr 02.)

  • Smokers produce more girls. Parents that smoke, whether it's one or both parents, give birth to more girls than boys, according to a Lancet journal study by Japanese and Danish researchers. The study looked at 11,000 babies born in Denmark and asked parents if they did not smoke, smoked a pack a day, or smoked more than a pack a day. The boy-girl ratio, typically about 1 to 1, dropped the more parents smoked leading to a 20 percent higher chance for a girl if both indulged. Although researchers are not sure why, some theories for the skewed sex ratios among tobacco users may include stress, chromosomes, and/or a more hostile, chemically unhealthy internal environment during conception. (Edelson, Ed. Smoke-filled wombs no place for a baby boy. HealthScout (Online), 18 Apr 02.)

  • Japan markets toxic whale meat. The push to lure young Japanese to start eating more whale meat was criticized by Sharman Stone, Australia's Secretary for the Antarctic, who cautioned that whales accumulate toxic chemicals making them some of the most contaminated animals in the world. Eating the meat is a human health hazard, she maintains, citing a warning from whale expert Roger Payne of the Whale Conservation Institute that "the highest concentration of endocrine disrupting compounds ever found in any animal came recently from a minke whale." (Whale meat toxics ignored in push for commercial whaling. Environment News Service (Online), 15 Apr 02 and Lies, E. Japan activists warn against Norway whale imports. Reuters News Service (PlanetArk online) 8 May 02.)

  • Use estrogenic herbs with caution.Women at risk for breast, uterine, and other estrogen-related cancers, especially those that should avoid additional sources of estrogen, may want to limit their intake of herbal remedies used to reduce menopause symptoms, say researchers at a recent cancer meeting. In laboratory studies, the plants, such as red clover, saw palmetto, rhodiola rosea, and motherwort - all known for their ability to mimic estrogen - were fed to rats without ovaries and hence, without a source of natural estrogens. Compounds in the various plants interacted with the estrogen receptor and produced estrogenic responses in the animals that were similar to estrogen hormone responses. (Bouchez, C. Herbs with estrogen action may raise cancer risk. HealthScout (Online), 10 Apr 02. )

  • ED chemical affects immune cells. Human immune cells exposed for one hour to a chemical that is used to protect crops, boats, and wood from pests were unable to kill tumor cells and remained that way for six days, researchers reported at a recent conference. Triphenyltins chemicals, related to the known endocrine disruptors tributyltins, interfered with human white blood cells, called lymphocytes, and reduced their tumor-killing ability by more than half. The scientists will next test farm workers who are regularly exposed to triphenyltins to see if their bodies can fight against the effects found in these laboratory studies. (Fox, M. 'New' pesticides affect immune system, study finds. Reuters News Service (Planet Ark Online), 10 Apr 02.)

  • Documentary explores Parkinson's links. A Canadian TV documentary (The Parkinson's Enigma) will feature the medical experts who are investigating links among four people (including actor Michael J. Fox) with Parkinson's disease. The four worked together, with about 120 others, for the Canadian Broadcasting Company in the late 1970s. By studying these confirmed cases or learning of other cases within the group, they hope to hone in on the disease's cause, which has been narrowed to genetic predisposition, exposure to pesticides, or a virus. (Laino, C. Medical detectives suspect viral, toxic link to Parkinson's disease. MSNBC (Online), 5 Apr 02.)

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JOURNAL SCAN

Featured papers

  • Netherland boys and hypospadias. The ever increasing birth defect known as hypospadias may be even more widespread and severe in The Netherlands than previously thought, according to research published in the April issue of a European journal. Instead of relying on birth defect registries, which are wrought with inaccuracies, the researchers examined all 7,292 consecutive newborn boys born during a two-year period at a hospital in Rotterdam. Four times more cases of hypospadias (26 per 10,000 births) were found in that southwestern part of the country than had been reported in the past. Severity of the problem was also higher with 79 percent requiring surgery to correct the malformation. Hypospadias, an increasingly common birth defect in boys, is a condition where the opening at the tip of the penis is translocated to the front side of the penis or the scrotum. Prior registry information show hypospadias is increasing and rates vary by region. This study suggests registry data may be giving an incomplete picture of the scale and severity of the problem. The authors call for more research on the causes and risk factors for this congenital defect; development of a uniform classifications system to compare rates and frequencies across regions/countries; and a systematic review of all newborn boys to get an accurate picture of, and fast repair for, the problem. (Pierik, FH et al. A high hypospadias rate in The Netherlands. European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, 17(4):1112-1115. 2002.)

For more recent papers of interest, see Research Briefs

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GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

EPA seeks new ED screening tests

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking information on new assays and tests that would use less animals and be cheaper and quicker than current methods being considered for Tier I testing in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). At this time, the EPA is standardizing and validating tests for the Tier 1 and 2 screening programs. Tier 1 testing uses laboratory and whole animal mammalian and non-mammalian (i.e., fish) toxicity screening assays to determine whether a chemical interacts with certain endocrine systems (i.e., estrogen, androgen, and thyroid endpoints). The Tier 2 screening involves longer term mammalian and non-mammalian (i.e., fish, birds, and amphibians) toxicity tests to determine if the substance causes an adverse effect, to identify the adverse effect, and to establish a quantitative relationship between the dose and the adverse effect.

The agency is asking for brief explanations of new screening assays with distinct advantages (such as reduced animal use, more cost-effective, and/or shorter in duration) over the current Tier 1 assays. The short description should include the scientific basis and strengths/weaknesses of the assay, the developmental status of the assay, a summary of any supporting data (including data on intra-laboratory reproducibility of the assay), additional work considered necessary for assay standardization, and the relevant experience of the key investigator(s). Promising assays may garner further study. Deadline for written responses is May 30, 2002. For more information, including how to submit responses, see the announcement for "Request for Information (RFI) for Endocrine Disruptor Screening Technology Challenge (In Vitro and In Vivo Methods to Screen Chemicals for Potential Endocrine Disrupting Effects) (SRCSGT)." (Posted 7 May 02)

Expert panel to discuss ED screening

An expert panel will meet May 21-22, 2002 in Durham, North Carolina, to discuss various aspects of the endocrine disruptor screening program. Members of the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods and the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods will meet to assess the current validation status of four in vitro endocrine disruptor screening methods and develop recommendations for further validation. The background review documents (BRD) evaluate the four assays: the estrogen receptor and androgen receptor binding assays and the estrogen receptor and androgen receptor transcriptional activation assays. Comments on the BRDs are due May 10, 2002. For more information, see the April 5 Federal Register notice. (Posted 23 Apr 02)

EPA posts new potency factors for organophosphate pesticides

The US Environmental Protection Agency posted the revised relative potency factors (RPFs) for certain organophosphate pesticides included in its "Preliminary Cumulative Risk Assessment for the Organophosphate Pesticides (OPs)." The agency used new statistical procedures to revise and standardize the RPFs for the chemicals. These new data will be used to determine the combined risk presented to human health from all the OPs identified in the risk assessment. The new numbers are posted on the EPA's Relative Potency Factors Web site. (Posted 7 May 02)

Federal Register actions

  • Atrazine: Revised risk assessment for this triazine pesticide is available for comment about risk management ideas or proposals for atrazine. Comments due by July 5, 2002. See the May 6 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr06my02-49). (Posted 6 May 02)

  • Acephate, Amitraz, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Cryolite, et al: Proposed revoking of numerous tolerances and uses for 23 substances because they are either no longer needed or are associated with food uses that are no longer current or registered in the United States. Comments due by June 14, 2002. See the April 15 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr15ap02-16). (Posted 23 Apr 02)

  • Methoxychlor: Proposed revoking of all tolerances for this organochlorine pesticide because all uses of the pesticide are suspended and the Agency believes residues are not safe to human and environmental health. Comments due by June 3, 2002. See the April 4 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr04ap02-23). (Posted 23 Apr 02)

  • Molinate: Preliminary risk assessment for this thiocarbamate herbicide is available for comment. Comments due by June 3, 2002. See the April 2 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr02ap02-88). (Posted 23 Apr 02)

  • Sodium acifluorfen (trade name Blazer): Revised human health and ecological risk assessments for this broad-based herbicide are available for comment. Comments due by May 28, 2002. See the April 12 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr12ap02-65). (Posted 19 Apr 02)

  • Voluntary Children's Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP): Data submissions and request for comment on information collection activities. The agency wishes to obtain information on chemicals that children are likely to be exposed so that any risks can be assessed and managed. Information on health effects, exposure, risk, and data needs will be submitted by chemical manufacturers who have volunteered to participate in VCCEP. Comments due by June 17, 2002. See the April 16 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr16ap02-65) and the May 15 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr15my02-69) (Posted 7 May 02; Updated 16 May 02)

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BOOKS, REPORTS, GRANTS, & MORE

Debate: Toxic Torts: The Chemical Industry and Public Health. Justice Talking. National Public Radio. 3 December 2001.
Richard Wiles, Senior Vice President and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group debates Jeff Stier, Associate Director, American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), about whether the 75,000 chemicals released into the environment since the 1950s should be tested for safety and adverse health effects. RealPlayer is needed to hear the taped debate posted online.

Report: Children's Health and Environment: A Review of Evidence. Eds. Giorgio Tamburlini, Ondine S von Ehrenstein, and Roberto Bertollin. European Environment Agency (EU) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2002, 223 pp. ISBN: 92-9167-412-5. Catalogue No: TH-42-02-828-EN-C. To order a print copy, contact the nearest EU publication's sales agent or download a PDF of the report.
Children are at a higher risk for environmental exposures and consequent diseases due to their small size, their higher exposure from putting objects in their mouths, and their exposure during rapid growth and development periods. Because of this, Europe's sustainable development efforts should focus on children's health, concludes this new report. The document summarizes the relationship between the physical environment and children's health. Based on background papers prepared for the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health held in London in 1999, it identifies research needs and policy priorities to protect children's health from environmental hazards.

Report: Environmental Health Risks: Information on EPA's Draft Reassessment of Dioxins. Government Accounting Office, April 26, 2002, 72 pp. Report No. GAO-02-515. To order a free print copy, contact GAO's Document Distribution Center at (202) 512-6000 or download a PDF of the report.
This report incorporates findings, suggestions, and recommendations from two independent peer review panels about dioxins. The results closely concur with assumptions and approaches the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to assess environmental and health dangers of the compounds. For instance, the EPA believes there is no low-level of safety and that any amount of the substances may pose a cancer risk. Dioxins are cancer-causing chemical compounds mainly produced during burning and industrial processes. The ubiquitous chemicals tend to enter the environment - and ultimately the food chain and the human diet - through air emissions.

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MARCH 2002 (Posted 6 April 02)

NEWS ROUNDUP

USGS finds drugs, hormones, other substances in streams (Posted 14 Mar 02, Revised 5 Apr 02)

A US Geologic Survey (USGS) study found low concentrations of human and animal drugs, natural and synthetic hormones, detergents, plasticizers, insecticides, and fire retardants in most of the 139 stream sites sampled in 30 states during 1999-2000. Concentrations found were typically less than 1 part per billion. Researchers can detect these very low levels with new analytical methods. Some of these methods were tested in this study, which analyzed water samples from sites impacted by human, agriculture, and industrial waste to determine if, how much of, and in what combinations the 95 compounds tested enter the environment.

Most samples contained a mix of contaminants. Half of the streams sampled had seven or more pollutants while one sample contained 38 different substances. At least one of the 95 contaminants was found in 80 percent of the sites. Only 13 – eight antibiotics and five other prescription drugs – were not detected in any of the samples.

The health and environmental effects of long-term exposure to low-level chemical mixtures is not yet known. Scientists concede such minute amounts do not kill organisms outright but believe more subtle, chronic effects already documented on aquatic life may be likely. Most of the compounds analyzed are not regulated as pollutants under the clean water rules or checked for environmental effects by registration agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, a March 14 New York Times article says the FDA may be rethinking its regulatory role and may require more environmental testing of the drugs it approves in light of this new USGS study. In addition, scientists are also questioning the effectiveness of these government regulations that oversee the manufacture, use, and disposal of pharmaceutical drug ingredients and products, according to an March 2002 Environmental Health Perspectives article. To better understand if the current regulations adequately protect human and environmental health from the many new and old drugs available, the article's authors examine and estimate sources, quantities, and danger of ingredient or product residues to human and environmental health.

Some major findings of the USGS survey include:

  • Hormones/endocrine disrupting compounds found. Thirty-three of the 95 contaminants are known or suspected endocrine disruptors. All 33 were detected in at least one stream sample. Synthetic chemicals found include the estrogenic plasticizers bisphenol A and di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP); the insecticides dieldrin and lindane; the estrogenic breakdown products of detergents nonylphenol and octylphenol; and the antiandrogen benzo(a) pyrene, a byproduct from burning fossil fuels. In addition, researchers found natural and synthetic hormones and steroids including the plant/animal steroid cholesterol; the estrogen replacement drugs equilenin and equilin; the ovulation inhibitors (birth control) 17α-ethynyl estradiol, mestranol, and 19-norethisterone; and the reproductive hormones 17α- and ß-estradiol, estriol, estrone, progesterone, and testosterone.

  • Antibiotics a concern. The study detected low levels of several antibiotics. This finding raises concerns about creating drug-resistent organisms.

  • Sources. The pollutants enter the environment mainly through household wastewater (treatment processes do not remove them) and agricultural and urban runoff.

  • What was found. The most frequently found contaminants were coprostanol (fecal steroid), cholesterol (plant/animal steroid), N,N-diethyltoluamide (insect repellant), caffeine, triclosan (antimicrobial disinfectant), tri(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (fire retardant), and 4-nonylphenol (detergent metabolite). Detection of metabolites, such as cotinine (from nicotine), suggests that breakdown products need to be considered when determining the environmental impact of compounds. When analyzed by general use category, steroids, nonprescription drugs, insect repellents, and detergent metabolites were found most often. However, almost 80 percent of the total measured compounds were from detergent metabolites, steroids, and plasticizers.

Resources.

Estrogen affects fish, UK study says

Natural and synthetic estrogenic hormones in rivers and other waterways are inhibiting wild fish from reproducing, possibly jeopardizing fish populations in the United Kingdom (UK), according to a report released March 26 by the UK's Environment Agency. The new research shows that estrogen from birth control pills is more potent than previously thought, contributing to the abnormal reproductive anomalies found in wild fish living in UK rivers. Laboratory experiments confirmed that the sewage water does indeed alter wild fish development and reproduction (see featured paper below: Estrogenic wastewater cause of intersex fish). In the case of pharmaceutical estrogens, women excrete the potent estrogens, which remain in treated sewage wastewater. Industrial wastewater is another source of estrogenic chemicals. In both cases, fish living downstream of sewage treatment plants are exposed to the substances. The new studies looked at roach and gudgeon fish in 10 rivers and found feminized male fish in both species. Moderate to severe intersex fish had trouble reproducing. One-third of the male fish did not produce sperm.

The fish feminization and reproductive problems are severe enough to warrant a risk management strategy and sewage treatment changes to control estrogens in the effluent, the Agency's report concludes. Studies during the next two years will assess impacts and identify and target sewage treatment plants with the worst problems. The agency hopes to work with the water industry and others to identify and install effective treatment technologies.

Resources and reports.

News briefs

  • Puberty and shampoo. Some shampoos and other hair-care products contain estrogens that could be absorbed by young girls and may contribute to the rising rates of early puberty in the Western world, according to this article. The shampoos may be a contributing factor for why US black girls have a higher rate of precocious puberty than whites, say some experts. They admit the idea is scientifically unproven but point to numerous reports as far back as 1982 describing early puberty symptoms after hair treatments. Many of the products are specifically marketed to and used by young girls and women in the African-American community, although a smaller proportion of other ethnic groups also use the products. The estrogens in the products could be absorbed through the skin, adding extra hormones to a developing girl's body. (Westphal, SP. Early puberty linked to shampoos. New Scientist (Online), 3 Apr 02.)

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MEDIA REVIEW

(For more articles, see Media coverage.)

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JOURNAL SCAN

Featured papers

  • Estrogenic wastewater cause of intersex fish. A laboratory study confirms that estrogens are responsible for some of the reproductive changes found in fish throughout the United Kingdom. In the study, 50-day-old wild fish were exposed for 150 days to various concentrations (0, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 percent) of sewage effluent. The reproductive ducts of exposed males were permanently feminized according to dose (100 percent effluent, 100 percent feminized) but no eggs were found in the testis suggesting another cause for this also widespread anomaly. Researchers measured estrogens and alkylphonolic chemicals in the effluent and vitellogenin (a female protein) in the fish to verify that the fish were exposed to and physiologically responded to the estrogenic wastewater. (Rodgers-Gray TP et al. Exposure of juvenile roach (Rutilus rutilus) to treated sewage effluent induces dose-dependent and persistent disruption in gonadal duct development. Environmental Science and Technology, 35(3):462-470. 2001.)

  • Metals synergize, in some cases. Testing one contaminant at a time for toxic effects does not accurately portray the real-life effects from exposure to our modern-day environment. This study shows that certain combinations of substances at the right doses can lead to more toxic effects than an individual chemical alone or a different dose combination of the same chemicals. The researchers also found that certain combinations and doses produced more that additive effects for the mothers but just additive effects for the developing babies. In this study, female mice were given different combinations of lead, mercury, and arsenic (alone, in twos, or all three) on day 10 of their pregnancies. The fetuses suffered most from low weight and cleft palate deformities associated with the mercury exposure. Adding lead and arsenic in low doses additively increased the developmental effects. The most toxic effects to mothers also occurred with exposure to mercury and to all three metals. When researchers varied the concentrations of the contaminants by combining low doses of lead and arsenic with a toxic dose of mercury, the effects were magnified (more than the added effects of the individual metals) and included fewer litters with fetuses, decreased eating, and loss of body and organ weight. (Belles, M et al. Interactions in developmental toxicology: Effects of concurrent exposure to lead, organic mercury, and arsenic in pregnant mice. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 42:93-98. 2002.)

  • Pollutants alter immune system. Pregnant women from a remote population in northern Canada had three times more PCBs, two times greater mercury levels, and significantly lower immune factors than women living in the coastal urban area of Sept-Iles, researchers say in this paper. The scientists compared the placental cord blood of women in the subsistence community who eat fish and sea mammals with cord blood samples of women in a city eating a more varied, modern diet. Marine animals, high on the food chain, contain many contaminants that can be passed on to the people who eat them. The researchers conclude that exposure to the organochlorine pollutants and metals found in the blood may be responsible for the subtle immune system changes observed, but more studies are needed to "determine the relevance of these alterations in predicting detrimental health effects in the developing child." (Belles-Isles, M, et al. Cord blood lymphocyte functions in newborns from a remote maritime population exposed to organochlorines and methylmercury. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 65(2):165-182. 2002.)

For more recent papers of interest, see Research Briefs

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GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

No low dose testing in ED screening program

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not incorporate the endocrine disruptor low dose hypothesis into its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. In a March 26, 2002, statement about not testing for low dose effects, the EPA points to a lack of scientific understanding and validity of the hypothesis. The agency says more research is needed to better understand the hypothesis and believes "that it would be premature to require routine testing of substances for low dose effects in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program." This follows a National Toxicology Program (NTP) report released August 2001 that found contradictory evidence for the idea that low doses of chemicals may be more harmful and may affect health in different ways than the current emphasis on exclusively large doses. A summary of the NTP report was just published in the April issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. To spark research in this area, the EPA will offer grants through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) funding program.

The Triazines

A public comment period is now open on the EPA's determination as to whether triazines class of pesticides share a common mechanism of toxicity. This is the first step of the cumulative risk assessment process. The agency concludes that atrazine, simazine, propazine, and the degradants diaminochlorotriazine (DACT), desethyl-s-atrazine (DEA), and desisopropyl-s-atrazine (DIA) have a common mechanism and thus should be evaluated through a cumulative risk assessment. Comments due by June 1, 2002. The announcement is online at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative/triazines/newdocket.htm. and a memorandum is available online at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulative/triazines/triazinestransmittalmemo.htm. (Posted 5 Apr 02)

Federal Register actions

  • Atrazine: public meeting April 16, 2002, to present revised risk assessment of the organophosphate pesticide. Summary of revised report is online at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides. See the March 21 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr21mr02-57). (Posted 2 Apr 02)

  • Imazalil: risk assessment available for comment. Comments due by May 28, 2002. See the March 27 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr27mr02-47). (Posted 2 Apr 02)

  • Ziram: risk assessment available for comment. Comments due by May 28, 2002. See the March 27 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr27mr02-48). (Posted 2 Apr 02)

  • Pesticide exposure and risk assessment public meeting April 30-May 1, 2002, in Arlington, Virginia, "to review a set of issues being considered by the Agency pertaining to review of the Cumulative and Aggregate Risk Evaluation System (CARES)\TM\ Model used as a tool for dietary and residential pesticide exposure and risk assessments." See the April 3 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr03ap02-54). (Posted 3 Apr 02)

  • Chromated copper arsenate (CCA): notice to registrants of affected CCA products to cancel certain products and to amend to terminate certain uses of other CCA products. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is phasing out home use of the wood preservative by January 1, 2004, to reduce human exposure to arsenic. (See January/February 2002 ED News for more.) Original comment deadline of March 25 extended to April 9, 2002. See the March 22 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr22mr02-62). (Posted 3 Apr 02)

  • Final: Certain uses of diazinon cancelled: This is the final notice confirming cancellation as of March 6, 2002, of the distribution, sale, and certain uses of the pesticide diazinon. No comments were received by the February 4, 2002, deadline, so the EPA has accepted the voluntary requests from companies to restrict all indoor uses, certain agricultural uses, and certain outdoor non-agricultural uses. (For more background, see December 2001 ED News.) See the March 6 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr06mr02-54). (Posted 3 Apr 02)

  • Revised version of the policy document Determination of the Appropriate FQPA Safety Factor(s) in Tolerance Assessment. The document describes "how the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) determines the appropriate FQPA safety factor(s) when developing aggregate risk assessments and regulatory decisions for single active and ``other'' (i.e., inert) ingredients of pesticide products." See the February 28 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr28fe02-62). (Posted 3 Apr 02)

  • Comments solicited for the draft policy document Consideration of the FQPA Safety Factor and Other Uncertainty Factors in Cumulative Risk Assessment of Chemicals Sharing a Common Mechanism of Toxicity. The document provides information on using additional safety factors to protect infants and children in cumulative risk assessments. Comments due by April 29, 2002. See the February 28 Federal Register notice (DOCID: fr28fe02-63). (Posted 3 Apr 02)

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ON THE WEB

On-line Biology Book
The Internet provides easy access to scientific information for all users, whether neophytes or experts. In this case, the On-line Biology Book caters to those with limited knowledge but is relevant and useful to those with more background. The 50 chapters are updated periodically and explain the basic biology principles and concepts of cellular function, chemical reactions (e.g., ATP, photosynthesis, etc.), plant and animal physiology, genetics, evolution, biological diversity, and ecosystem ecology. The use of accurate, pithy text and easy-to-understand graphics make the content easy to grasp, even for those with limited biology knowledge. Hyperlinks connect specialty words to other pages with detailed explanations. These links interconnect biological principles and provide easy maneuvering throughout the pages. Chapters of interest to Endocrine Disruptor News' readers include the endocrine system, the reproductive system, and community and ecosystem dynamics. The site is written by M.J. Farabee and hosted by Estrella Mountain Community College, Avondale, Arizona.
CHEC's HealtheHouse
The Children's Health Environmental Coalition's (CHEC) web site has a new section designed for parents and others who want to protect their children from harmful chemicals found in the home. The web site provides basic tips on how to minimize the effects of exposure; links to additional resources; and healthier alternatives to cleaning products, processed food, and other everyday household items. HealtheHouse provides useful articles, top 10 lists (the most dangerous pesticides, how to choose organic foods, and what chemical-free products to use when cleaning), quick tips for healthy living, and a quiz with a customized analysis of a home. Visitors can select items in and around the online home to identify pesticides, dangerous chemicals, and other potential health hazards. For example, a visitor can learn about pesticides commonly found in lawn and garden products or phthalates that may be contained in soft plastic children's toys.

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BOOKS, REPORTS, GRANTS, & MORE

Book: Biologically-active Phytochemicals in Food: Analysis, Metabolism, Bioavailability, and Function. Ed. W Pfannhauser, GR Fenwick and S Khokhar. Cambridge, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001, 616 pp. ISBN: 0-85404-806-5.
This book looks at the biosynthesis and significance of phytochemicals and their analysis and antioxidant behavior, with special attention to their antioxidant properties. It also discusses the influence of structure and processing on the bioavailability, and hence efficacy, of phytochemicals.

Report: Wargo, J and L Evenson Wargo. The State of Children's Health and Environment 2002. Princeton, NJ: Children's Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC), 2002, pp. To order a print or electronic copy, contact Amy Kostant at (202) 463-6670 or download the report from the CHEC web site.
This report offers guidelines for parents and families about potential health hazards, reducing exposures, and the links between illness and environmental factors. The chapters describe ways parents can immediately reduce children's exposure to air pollutants and cover issues of air quality and links to asthma, birth defects and developmental disabilities, childhood cancer and the environment, and principles for legal reform.

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002 (Posted 21 Feb 02)

NEWS ROUNDUP

Government/industry agree to limited use of CCA wood by 2004

Lumber treated with the wood preservative chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is being phased out for home use in the US during the next two years, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By January 1, 2004, other types of preservatives will protect wood intended for residential structures, such as play areas, decks, picnic tables, fencing, and landscaping. Manufacturers voluntarily agreed in mid-February to replace the controversial preservative with other treatments. Retailers followed suit and will stop supplying CCA-treated wood for home-use and public consumer projects. CCA-treated lumber will still be used for utility poles and other commercial uses.

Boards are pressure-injected with the chemical mixture CCA to protect and preserve them from insects, fungus, weather, and other rot-inducing elements. The chemical preservative contains copper, arsenic, and chromium, which all leach from the wood and contaminate nearby soil. Children are exposed to the hazardous materials when they play on wooden playground equipment, decks, and many other consumer-type structures made from the pressure-treated lumber. In the past year, media articles, non-profit groups, and government officials raised concerns about adverse health effects to children who play on wood structures and in the contaminated soil and adults who build and work with the wood. Of most concern is the metal arsenic, an endocrine disruptor and known lung, bladder, and skin carcinogen. Canada is considering similar measures, and according to a July 9, 2001, Time Magazine article, nine other countries have banned or restricted CCA use.

Recent events leading up to this month's EPA decision include:

Late 1980s:

March 2001:
  • The St. Petersburg Times publishes "The poison in your back yard," a special report revealing results from newspaper-sponsored soil tests showing high concentrations of arsenic leaching out of wooden playground equipment and into the soil in playgrounds throughout Florida. (Hauserman, J. The poison in your back yard. St. Petersburg Times, 21 March 01.)

October 2001:
  • US and Canada governments review scientific data to assess if stricter regulations are warranted for CCA treated wood. As part of US efforts, Scientific Advisory Panels hold public meeting on health risks from children's exposure to CCA treated wood and soil contamination.

  • Bush adopts 10 parts per billion (ppb) arsenic limit in drinking water by 2006. (See October ED News and US EPA's Arsenic in drinking water.)

November 2001:
  • Environmental groups release report detailing risks of arsenic leaching from pressure treated wood. (See October ED News and Poison Wood Rivals, The Environmental Working Group and Healthy Building Network, November 2001.)

December 2001:
  • A report released by the US EPA concludes there is an urgent need to study children who play on pressure-treated wood structures and workers who use the products to see if they have harmful chemicals from the wood on their skin or in their bodies. (See December 2001 ED News)

  • Several non-profit organizations call for the US EPA to issue an immediate ban on CCA and pentachlorophenol (penta), two components of chemical wood preservatives, because of health and environmental concerns. (See December 2001 ED News)

February 2001: More Information:

Canadian report warns against plasticizer

Canadian health care professionals should not use DEHP-containing medical equipment with some populations and groups of people or with those undergoing certain medical treatments, recommends Health Canada in a recently-revised report. The Expert Advisory Panel on DEHP in Medical Devices suggests restricting use of medical devices containing the estrogenic compound di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) with breastfeeding women, pregnant women, infants, males before puberty, and certain dialysis or heart transplant patients. DEHP softens polyvinyl chloride plastics that are heavily used in medical situations, such as IV tubes for feeding and dialysis. Lack of clear data and uncertainties in applying animal studies to humans make it impossible to accurately assess human exposure and toxicity risk from medical devises, the report offers. However, those with long-term exposures (dialysis patients) or those exposed to high doses during crucial development periods (fetuses, infants) are most at risk. The report concludes, from animal research studies, that DEHP does not pose a cancer risk but has "the potential to produce adverse reproductive effects in humans." In September 2001, a US Food and Drug Administration report concluded DEHP may not be safe for infants and children undergoing certain medical procedures (see September 2001 ED News). In addition, DEHP is on Japan's endocrine disruptor priority list (see March 2001 ED News). DEHP may affect the male reproductive tract, sperm production, and brain development.

Water's chemical byproducts a health concern

Disinfection byproducts (DBP) are created when chlorine purifiers in drinking water mix with organic matter (fertilizers; sewage; and plants, soil, and other material in polluted runoff) in the water. DBPs are raising concerns of scientists and lawmakers because of a suspected link between exposure through drinking water and adverse fetal health, especially miscarriages. Solid evidence is lacking for a causal link, but four review articles in the latest Environmental Health Perspectives supplement suggest a link is possible and recommend more research. The four articles examine DBP exposure and birth outcomes (small size, preterm birth, birth defects, abortions, and fetal deaths), new approaches to measure DBP exposure, DBPs cancer-causing potential (several hundred chemicals identified with 20 of priority concern), and why supplying clean, abundant water will be a major challenge, possibly requiring institutional changes, in the US during the next century.

In addition, a recently released report by the Environmental Working Group and the Public Interest Research Group assessed DBPs nationwide and concluded about 137,000 women are at risk for miscarriage or for delivering a child with birth defects because of DBP-tainted water. To reduce health risks associated with drinking water, these environmental organizations support cleaning up the waterways by reducing polluted runoff rather than over-disinfecting the water with chorine. Chlorine Chemistry Council representatives quoted in a January 9 Environment News Service article say the report's conclusions are not scientifically supported and cite US Environmental Protection Agency reports finding exposure to chlorinated water safe. But, the controversy over DBPs has already moved to the courtroom. A real-life drama linking water and miscarriages is being played out in Hampton Roads, Virginia. According to a February 10 Washington Post article, many women who had miscarriages there in the 1990s are in court claiming the city did not warn them of the dangerous chemical levels in their drinking water, which were sometimes much higher than standards allow.

News briefs

  • Estrogen still used to suppress girls' height. A recent study shows that 22% of the 411 doctors surveyed still prescribe estrogen to adolescence girls to reduce their height as adults. The physicians prescribed the hormone for between one to five girls within the past 5 years and a third discussed the therapy with patients, according to results published in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Although no link is confirmed, many "tall girls" who received the controversial growth suppression therapy since the 1960s believe the estrogen treatments may be responsible for subsequent health problems such as cancer, early menopause, infertility, and other reproductive tract problems. (See Estrogen given to suppress height. Associated Press (Intelihealth - Online), 6 Feb 02; 'Fixing' girls who are growing too tall. WebMDHealth (Online), 6 Feb 02.)

  • Arctic home to long-lived pesticides. Some long-lived pesticides applied years ago are evaporating and drifting through the air continually contaminating the Arctic environment. In fact, the old pesticide is found in increasingly larger concentrations in Arctic air than recently applied pesticides, say Canadian researchers in a recent scientific article. The scientists tested air samples collected between 1984 and 1998 to determine patterns of chlordane pesticides such as DDT and PCBs. These and other organochlorine chemicals–some already banned in certain countries–can evaporate and travel globally in the air. The researchers found that concentrations of some "related chlordanes decreased by half every 5-10 years," reports Science News. Also, recently applied pesticides account for "a decreasing fraction of airborne chlordane in the Arctic." (See Old pesticide still makes it to Arctic. Science News 161(9 Feb 02):93-94; Bidleman, T. et al. Chlordane enantiomers and temporal trends of chlordane isomers in Arctic air. Environmental Science and Technology, 36(4):539-544. 2002.)

  • Men with high PCB levels father more boys. More boys than girls are born to men with blood PCB concentrations of more than 8.1 micrograms/liter, according to a January 2002 research article. Of 208 children in 101 families studied, 57% were boys, a slight increase from the usual 51% in a normal population. The fathers, who participated in past studies to determine polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) blood concentrations, caught and ate fish from the heavily contaminated Lake Michigan. The authors admit to a small sample size and point out the results differ from the Seveso, Italy, study where more girls than boys were born after townspeople were exposed to severe dioxin contamination. However, current findings agree with results from another study of Vietnam veterans exposed to dioxin who also fathered more boys than girls. The three studies suggest that environmental contaminants may affect human reproduction by altering sex ratios. PCBs are known endocrine disruptors that are currently used in a number of settings including electrical capacitors and transformers and are byproducts of paper production. (Fox, M. Men carrying pollutant have more boys. Planet Ark (Online), 30 Jan 02; Men with high levels of PCBs more likely to father boys. Press Release (Michigan State University), 28 Jan 02; Karmaus, W, S Huang, and L Cameron. Parental concentration of dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene and polychlorinated biphenyls in Michigan fish eaters and sex ratio in offspring. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 44(1):8-13.)

  • Birth defects and hazardous waste landfills. Another study supports previous links between landfills and birth defects. This study of European waste sites found children have a 40% higher chance of being born with chromosomal abnormalities (such as Down's syndrome) if their mother lives within 3 kilometers of a hazardous waste landfill. Past studies found a 33% increase in non-chromosomal birth defects (cleft palate, spina bifida) and a 7% increase for all birth defects. (See Toxic waste landfills pose birth defect risks. Environment News Service (Online), 25 Jan 02; Fears grow over landfill defect link. BBC News (Online), 25 Jan 02; Vrijheid, M. et al. Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites. The Lancet, 359:320-322. 2002.)

  • Flame retardant contaminates wildlife, people. Almost 90% of freshwater fish recently tested in Virginia were contaminated with a byproduct of the flame retardant penta bromo diphenyl ether or PBDE, according to research published in the December issue of Environmental Science and Technology. PBDE is one of the most common fire suppressors found in foam furniture. A few years ago researchers discovered the chemical is accumulating in human breast milk and exposing nursing babies to the pollutant. Not much is known about health effects of this global contaminant but some liken it to DDT and PCBs, two ubiquitous pollutants now banned in some countries due to adverse health effects. Some of PBDE's chemical parts resemble PCBs, which are endocrine disruptors and possible carcinogens, and some are similar to the thyroid hormone thyroxin, raising concerns that the chemicals could be endocrine disruptors as they may interfere with thyroid function. In response to recent research findings, Europe is banning one form of PBDE next year. (See Hemminger, P. Flame retardant chemical found in fish, humans. Environment News Service (Online), 31 Jan 02; Flame retardant in furniture causes concern. Associated Press, 30 Jan 02; Hale, RC et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants in Virginia freshwater fishes (USA). Environmental Science and Technology, 35(23, December 1):4585-4591. 2001.)

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JOURNAL SCAN

Featured papers

  • New sunscreens not estrogenic. Summer is coming soon to the Northern hemisphere, a time many use sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Those worried about last year's findings that some sunscreen chemicals are endocrine disruptors (see April 2001 ED News) may be relieved with new research published in December. Researchers testing the estrogenic potential of Tinosorb M-active and Tinosorb S, two new ultraviolet-absorbing sunscreen compounds, found no estrogenic activity in lab assays (did not bind to estrogen receptor) and rat uterine experiments (uterine tissue did not grow). The scientists conclude the two compounds have no estrogenic/antiestrogenic or androgenic/antiandrogenic activity. (Ashby, J. et al. Lack of binding to isolated estrogen or androgen receptors, and inactivity in the immature rat uterotrophic assay, of the ultraviolet sunscreen filters Tinosorb M-active and Tinosorb S. Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology, 34(3):287-291. 2002.)

  • Female octopus have estrogen receptors similar to those in vertebrates, report scientists studying the marine invertebrate. Researchers found a high affinity, low-binding capacity 17-beta estradiol receptor in the cytosol (the liquid portion of cells) but not the nucleus of the mollusc's ovary and oviduct cells. Antibody studies showed estrogen receptor activity in the nuclei of the ovarian follicle cells and oviduct epithelium cells; in the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells in the interior regions of the oviducal gland; and in the cytoplasm of cells in the outer region of the oviducal gland. (Di Cosmo, A, C Di Cristo, and M Paolucci. A estradiol-17 beta receptor in the reproductive system of the female of Octopus vulgaris: Characterization and immunolocalization. Molecular Reproduction & Development, 61(3):367-375. 2002.)

  • Plants, too? And, researchers found estrogen (17-beta estradiol and estrone) and estrogen-binding proteins that are structurally related to mammalian estrogen receptors in plants. (Milanesi, L, P Monje, and R Boland. Presence of estrogens and estrogen receptor-like proteins in Solanum glaucophyllum. Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 289(5):1175-1179. 2001.)

  • Novel estrogenic compound in corn. And . . . a newly discovered type of estrogenic agent nicknamed "corn mitigen" (CM) may influence human and rodent health and development. Researchers found that ground corncob bedding altered mating behavior and female reproductive cycles in rats living on it. The purified corn mitigen suppresses rat ovarian cycles and proliferates estrogen responsive breast cancer cells and prostatic cancer cells. Assays show CM does not act through estrogen receptors making it unlikely the compound is a known phytoestrogen or other endocrine disrupting chemical, say the scientists. (Markaverich, B et al. A novel endocrine-disrupting agent in corn with mitogenic activity in human breast and prostatic cancer cells. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(2):169-177. 2002.)

Recent papers of interest

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GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

Federal Register actions

  • Lindane: revised risk assessments for this organochlorine pesticide. Included is new information since preliminary risk assessment. Comments due by April 1, 2002. See the January 31 Federal Register notice (DOCID:fr31ja02-63). (Posted 15 Feb 02)

  • Acefate: interim risk management decision documents available for this organophosphate pesticide. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes acefate does not pose risk concerns after registrants dropped indoor residential use and certain outdoor uses thus reducing exposure in homes and lawns. See the January 30 Federal Register notice (DOCID:fr30ja02-63). (Posted 15 Feb 02)

  • Oxyfluorfen: risk assessments available for this organophosphate pesticide. Comments due by April 1, 2002. See the January 30 Federal Register notice (DOCID:fr30ja02-62). (Amended February 4, 2002, Federal Register Notice, DOCID:fr04fe02-94). (Posted 15 Feb 02)

  • Terbufos: interim risk management decision documents available. Comments due by March 16, 2002. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that if certain risk mitigation measures are adopted, risks from terbufo, which has no residential uses, are within acceptable levels when used on corn, sorghum, and sugar beets; food and drinking water residues do not pose risk concerns; and worker and ecological risks will be substantially reduced. See the January 16 Federal Register notice (DOCID:fr16ja02-71). (Posted 15 Feb 02)

  • Guidance on Cumulative Risk Assessment of Pesticide Chemicals That Have a Common Mechanism of Toxicity: revised science policy document available. Document reviews and overviews theories and processes to measure health risks from more realistic exposure to multiple pesticides through multiple pathways (known as cumulative risk assessment) instead of the traditional method of measuring risks from one chemical's exposure through one pathway (eating, breathing, etc.). See the January 16 Federal Register notice (DOCID:fr16ja02-72). (Posted 15 Feb 02)

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MEDIA REVIEW

(For more articles, see Media coverage.)

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BOOKS, REPORTS, GRANTS, & MORE

Book: Steingraber, Sandra. Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood. Cambridge, MA: Perseus, 2001, 351 pp. ISBN: 0-7382-0467-6, $26 US.
In her newest book, ecologist Sandra Steingraber takes readers on a journey through pregnancy, interweaving technical and creative to explain the miracles of development and the risks from environmental toxins. The story of an embryo's transformation to a newborn baby unfolds as a month-by-month narrative interspersed with information about environmental threats, toxic risks, and effects on the developing baby. Clear explanations of embryology and hormone function do not obscure the book's central message: the Earth is contaminated with toxins that find their way into a mother's body, pass to the developing baby via placenta and breast milk, and affect human health, reproduction, and growth. Steingraber examines lead, mercury, pesticides, dioxins, and other environmental toxins in light of misplaced environmental safety (drinking bottled water but showering with tap water), political successes (DDT), and causes of political inaction (greed). In the end, she calls for mothers and parents to promote precautionary principles (stopping activities or product manufacturing even with unsubstantiated risks), with chemical use and environmental safety. (See also: Whitney, S. For baby's sake. Deseret News, 31 Jan 02. Book review: Woodwell, GM. Pregnancy in a polluted world. Science, 295(1 Feb):803. 2002.)
Book: Endocrine Disruptors: Anthropogenic Compounds, Part 1. Manfred Metzler, ed. Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Series, Vol. 3, Subvol. L. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2001, 188 pp. ISBN: 3-540-66306-1, $89.95 US.
Experts discuss the major classes of endocrine active compounds (EACs), modes of action, detection methods, and human and wildlife health effects. Chapters explore long-term exposure to natural and synthetic estrogens; antiandrogenic agents; and alkylphenols, bisphenol A, PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, and phthalates as EACs. The writers present current information about the poorly understood association with breast and prostate cancer, decreased fertility, and malformations and the lesser mentioned health benefits associated with endocrine disruptors.
Book: Behl, C. Estrogen: Mystery Drug for the Brain. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2001, 228 pp. ISBN: 3-211-83539-3.
This book examines the how's and why's of estrogen's ability to protect the brain with an emphasis on degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease. Chapters discuss basic information about estrogen, its ability to act via receptors, its protective tendencies, scientific techniques for collecting data, and information transfer from research lab to clinic. The biochemical, molecular, and cellular action of estrogen is laid out as a basis for understanding how to use the steroid hormone for prevention and therapy.
Grant: Biomarkers for the assessment of exposure and toxicity in children, US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program.
Up to $3 million is available for new research to develop biomarkers to assess exposure and toxicity in children. Proposals are due by May 8, 2002. Research on children's environmental health risks is needed to improve understanding of when, how, and why children respond differently from adults to toxic agents, in order to develop effective approaches to reduce risks. In this case, new biomarkers to assess children's unique susceptibility and vulnerability to toxins may assist in detecting, preventing, and treating environmental diseases and improve risk assessment for that group. For more information, including eligibility requirements and instructions for application submission, see the grant announcement. (Posted 13 Feb 02)
Grant: Valuation of environmental impacts on children's health, US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program.
Up to $2 million is available for research grants leading to improved theoretical and/or empirical estimates of the value of reducing environmental risks to children's health. Proposals are due by May 8, 2002. Children respond differently than adults to toxic agents. Through this grant, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will fund research to identify appropriate measures of willingness to pay for reductions in morbidity and mortality risks to children's health. Research should address an environmental stressor, the resulting health effects from exposure, and the altered attributes, such as intelligence, fertility, functionality, mobility, and life expectancy. For more information, including eligibility requirements and instructions for application submission, see the grant announcement. (Posted 13 Feb 02)

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