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In a study of 31 Boston offices, polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants now banned internationally by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants were detected in every office tested. The research, published online June 30 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), links concentrations of PBDEs in office dust with levels of the chemicals on the hands of the offices’ occupants.

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A review published online June 22 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) reports the conclusions of an international workshop on ways to improve chemicals safety testing for effects on the breast. The studies reviewed by workshop scientists indicate that chemical exposures during critical periods of development may influence breast growth, ability to breastfeed, and cancer risk. The scientists recommend that future chemical testing evaluate effects on the breast after prenatal and early-life exposure.

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The safety of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico became a central concern following the Deepwater Horizon blowout a year ago. Even after previously closed Gulf waters began reopening in summer 2010, consumer confidence in the safety of Gulf seafood remained shaky. A new review published online May 12 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) affirms that levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found thus far in Gulf seafood samples in fact have been well below levels that would be of concern for human health.

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Three independent investigations published online April 21 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) have reached similar conclusions, associating prenatal exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides with IQ deficits in school-age children. The fact that three research groups reached such similar conclusions independently adds considerable support to the validity of the findings.

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On April 22, 2011, Earth Day, Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), the peer-reviewed journal covering environmental health sciences as they relate to human health, will launch a website dedicated to this event. The site, available on Friday at http://ehponline.org/earthday2011, features a collection of recent EHP research, news, science education materials, and podcasts that relate to the overarching themes of air, land, water and climate.

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A group of 264 Mexican-American children living in California had higher levels of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants in their blood serum than 283 counterparts living in Mexico, according to research published online April 15 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

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Young children who mouth or swallow jewelry containing cadmium may be exposed to as much as 100 times the recommended maximum exposure limit for the toxic metal, according to research published online March 4 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The study measured bioavailability, or how much cadmium leached out of the jewelry. The research also found that damaged pieces of jewelry in some cases leached up to 30 times more cadmium than undamaged pieces.

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According to a new study published February 24 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at concentrations found in the general U.S. population are associated with the failure of fertilized embryos to implant in the uterus after in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study may help explain earlier reports of impaired reproduction and increased time to pregnancy among women exposed to PCBs. “Our findings provide insight into a specific time point following conception that determines whether a pregnancy will occur that may be particularly sensitive to PCB exposure,” says lead author John Meeker.

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Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is pleased to announce the launch of its iPhone app, which gives readers of the peer-reviewed journal access to research and news as soon as it is published online. This new format is another step in EHP’s efforts to make high-quality science easier to access and available to more people than ever before. The app is available free through iTunes.

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Electricity use has health benefits in diverse populations worldwide, but the relationship is not linear, and increasing use past a certain threshold may not add benefits. Additionally, those benefits may be offset by negative health impacts of the fuel used to generate electricity. A multitiered analysis published February 21 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) investigates the relationship between coal consumption, electricity use, and health impacts, as well as the related implications for climate and energy policy.

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For every four to five reported cases of mesothelioma worldwide, at least one case goes unreported, according to estimates published online January 6 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). This study is the first to provide a global estimate of unreported mesothelioma cases based on the collective experience of countries with available data on asbestos use and the disease.

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A study published December 7 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) reports what scientists believe is the worst documented U.S. case of food contamination with polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. The incident also marks the first time food contamination has been thought to result from PBDEs in a food’s packaging.

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Sperm whales throughout the Pacific carry evidence of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and persistent organic pollutants including the pesticide DDT, according to a study published online December 6 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The broad study provides a baseline for future research on ocean pollution and health.

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Moscow grabbed headlines last summer as thousands perished during an unprecedented heat wave. However, a retrospective study of heat waves in 43 U.S. cities indicates mortality climbs even during the less dramatic heat events that hit many cities almost every year, according to research published online November 18 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). “Our findings have implications for decision makers addressing the health burden of heat waves and for researchers estimating health effects from climate change,” said study co-author Michelle L. Bell of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

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A statement signed by nearly 150 scientists from 22 countries raises concerns about occurrence, toxicity, and efficacy of a major class of flame retardant chemicals commonly found in upholstered furniture, foam carpet pads, textiles, televisions and other consumer electronics, airplanes, and automobiles. These chemicals also were used in mattresses produced before July 2007.

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Babies whose mothers had relatively high levels of the chemical DDE in their blood were more likely to both grow rapidly during their first 6 months and to have a high body mass index (BMI) by 14 months, according to a team of scientists based in Barcelona, Spain. DDE, an endocrine disrupter, is a by-product of the pesticide DDT.

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Swimming in indoor chlorinated pools may induce genotoxicity (DNA damage that may lead to cancer) as well as respiratory effects, but the positive health effects of swimming can be maintained by reducing pool levels of the chemicals behind these potential health risks, according to a new study published in a set of three articles online September 12 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). This study is the first to provide a comprehensive characterization of disinfection by-products (DBPs) in an indoor pool environment and the first to study the genotoxicity of exposure to these chemicals among swimmers in an indoor chlorinated pool.

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Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides before birth can increase susceptibility to attention disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new study is part of a growing body of research indicating that exposure to OP pesticides can adversely affect brain development.

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Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) has increased its impact factor to 6.19, as reported by the Journal Citation Reports® Science Edition, making it the top monthly journal of original research both in environmental sciences and in public, environmental, and occupational health.

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The July 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) will feature a call for an international ban on the mining and use of all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile asbestos. The commentary by Joseph LaDou, MD, and other Fellows of the Collegium Ramazzini demonstrates clearly the need for an international ban on all forms of asbestos: although 52 countries have banned asbestos, many others still use the mineral, exposing millions of people to an agent for which there is no scientifically verified safe level. LaDou contends, “All asbestos-related diseases are preventable if asbestos is banned globally.”

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Even though urban cyclists face hazards such as exposure to car exhaust and the risk of traffic accidents, it’s still far healthier to park the car and get on a bike. The health of the individual cyclists may improve as they drive less and exercise more, and the resulting reduction in exhaust emissions will benefit the entire community, according to a study published online June 30 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

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The number of very hot days is increasing worldwide, but the rate of increase is more than double in the most sprawling metropolitan regions compared with more compact cities, according to a team of Atlanta-based scientists. This was true regardless of the urban regions’ climate zone, population size, or rate of growth.

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The largest study yet to investigate exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants and pregnant women’s thyroid hormone levels correlates exposure to PBDEs with reduced levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and increased odds of subclinical hyperthyroidism.

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Children exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) early in life later had a diminished immune response to diphtheria and tetanus vaccinations, according to a study published online June 20 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

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Traffic-related air pollution, known to raise the risk for cardiovascular disease, may also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women. Low-grade inflammation may contribute to the higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in women exposed to air pollution, according to German researchers.

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A study published online May 13 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) shows for the first time that elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) like those predicted by models of climate change can drive increased production of fungal spores, including some associated with allergies and asthma.

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Researchers in British Columbia, Canada, have used a technique known as ecological niche modeling to identify likely areas where a potentially lethal fungus could spread next. Cryptococcus gattii, which can cause life-threatening infections of the lungs and central nervous system when inhaled, infects humans as well as a broad range of wild and domestic animals.

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A study published April 19, 2010 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) demonstrates that conditions that can support the establishment of Lyme disease have come together in southern Quebec, an area that until now has not sustained the disease.

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In celebration of this month’s 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) today posted a new podcast featuring preeminent zoologist Theo Colborn describing her work studying endocrine disruptors.

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A study published 16 March 2010 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) finds that many developing countries have high long-term levels of aerosol air pollution. The study is the first to use satellite data to estimate long-term fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations across the entire globe.

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In the latest installment of The Researcher’s Perspective podcast series, Dr. Robert Kavlock, director of the U.S. EPA National Center for Computational Toxicology, talks about the agency’s ToxCast™ project. The Researcher’s Perspective is the monthly podcast series of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new podcast is available at http://ehponline.org/static/podcasts.action.

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A study published January 28 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that women with higher exposure to phthalates during their pregnancy report more disruptive and problem behaviors in their children, using standardized measures. The study included 188 children whose mothers enrolled in Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s New York Children’s Environmental Health Study during their third trimester of pregnancy.

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A study published 21 January 2010 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) for the first time links thyroid disease with human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent organic chemical used in industrial and consumer goods, including nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

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A study published November 2, 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) may affect serum cholesterol levels in people. The authors, all from the Boston University School of Public Health, used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an ongoing survey of a representative sample of the civilian U.S. population that gathers data on dietary and health factors. NHANES is conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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A study published October 19th ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) found that 2- to 5-year-old children diagnosed with autism or autism spectrum disorders (AU/ASD) had blood mercury levels similar to those of typically developing control children after adjusting for a variety of sources. The study was conducted through Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE), an ongoing study to identify and understand factors contributing to childhood AU/ASD and developmental delays.

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In a study published September 24th ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), researchers measured oseltamivir carboxylate (OC), the active metabolite of the popular anti-influenza drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), in samples of sewage discharge and river water collected near Kyoto City during Japan’s 2008–2009 flu season.

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A study published online ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) evaluated the relationship between exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and heart rate variability (HRV) in taxi drivers in Beijing, China before, during and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The report is among the first to document health effects of the massive air cleanup effort by China prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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In the latest installment of The Researcher's Perspective, the new podcast series by Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), Dr. Josh Hamilton discusses the potential implications of his recent mouse study on arsenic exposure and immune response to influenza A/H1N1.

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A study published 15 June 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that lipid-adjusted concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans and organochlorine pesticides in women's blood serum and milk do not decrease during lactation as previously thought. This new insight should improve researchers' ability to assess infant exposures to environmental chemicals via breastfeeding.

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A study published online 18 June 2009 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that diet is an important route of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). PBDEs are a class of flame retardants that are commonly found in consumer products such as polyurethane foam, electronics and textiles.

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The 2008 Journal Citation Reports Science Edition shows that Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) increased its impact factor to 6.12 for 2008, an increase of 8.6% over the prior year's impact factor of 5.64. EHP now ranks second among 163 environmental sciences journals and second among 105 public, environmental, and occupational health journals.

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A research article published on June 11 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) describes an approach to identify which U.S. populations within specific geographic regions are likely to be most susceptible to adverse effects of heat, as well as which areas are most in need of intervention.

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In the June issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), editor-in-chief Hugh A. Tilson announced that the EHP 2009 Paper of the Year is "Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure," written by Shanna H. Swan, Katharina M. Main, Fan Liu, Sara L. Stewart, Robin L. Kruse, Antonia M. Calafat, Catherine S. Mao, J. Bruce Redmon, Christine L. Ternand, Shannon Sullivan, J. Lynn Teague and the Study for Future Families Research Team.

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A research article published online May 20 ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) suggests that low-dose exposure to arsenic in drinking water may significantly alter components of the immune system and cause a number of changes in the body's response to respiratory infection caused by influenza A, also known as H1N1.

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Anti-infectives have become environmental contaminants of growing concern, as they are transported from landfills, agriculture and urban centers into waterways and drinking water, according to a review article published in the May 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

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A review article published in Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that increasing changes in global climate and oscillations in atmospheric temperatures may shift the use and spread of agricultural chemicals and pathogens, resulting in potentially harmful human exposures. Although the authors focused their review on the U.K. agricultural environment, they wrote that some of their conclusions are applicable and relevant to other countries as well as to sectors other than agriculture.

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The April 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) reports on a study examining the association of chronic low-level exposure to lead and accelerated declines in cognition in women age 47"“74 years. Study findings suggest that cumulative exposure to lead at levels likely to be experienced in community settings may have adverse consequences for women's cognition in their later years.

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The March 2009 issue of EHP reports on a study examining the association of neighborhood food environments and walkability with body mass index and obesity in New York City. The study shows a higher local density of "BMI-healthy" food outlets -- supermarkets, produce markets and natural food stores where customers can buy fresh fruits and vegetables -- is associated with a lower BMI and lower prevalence of obesity. However, "BMI-unhealthy" food outlets -- fast food restaurants and convenience stores -- although far more abundant than BMI-healthy outlets, were not significantly associated with a higher BMI or the prevalence of obesity.

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The peer-reviewed monthly journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) announced today that it has established a new partnership with Salud Pública de México (SPM), a bi-monthly interdisciplinary journal published by the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP) since 1959.

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A study of coarse and fine particulate matter (PM) generated by the California wildfires of 2008 suggests a toxicity level greater than that of an equivalent dose of PM in ambient air, as reported in the January 2009 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. The study adds to growing literature supporting source and component specific differences in toxicity of pollutant particles of a given size, and challenges regulators to consider toxicity as well as mass or size when regulating particle pollution.