Podcasts about pbdes

Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Professor Maureen Cropper, Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Maryland and a leading environmental economist, about her recent research on the health and economic impacts of toxic chemicals in plastics.We explore how an economist came to study chemical exposures and what her research reveals about the true cost of common compounds found in everyday plastic products. The conversation focuses on three major groups of toxic chemicals (BPA, DEHP, and PBDEs) and the serious health risks linked to them. Professor Cropper explains where these chemicals are commonly found, who is most at risk, and how she estimated both the public health burden and the economic costs tied to ongoing exposure.You'll also hear about what she believes needs to change: the policy actions, regulatory strategies, and paradigm shifts necessary to move toward safer, healthier materials. If you're concerned about chemicals in consumer products, interested in environmental health policy, or curious how economists quantify health risks, this episode is a great listen! Professor Maureen Cropper is a Distinguished University Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland and Chair of the Economics Department. She is also a Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future and a former Lead Economist at the World Bank. Dr. Cropper is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research focuses on valuing environmental amenities, estimating consumer preferences for health and longevity improvements, and analyzing the trade-offs inherent in environmental regulations. Her recent work examines the public health and economic impacts of toxic chemicals found in plastics. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or X.On Youtube.Or TikTok.SUBSCRIBE to her monthly newsletter here.Support the show

In the last podcast, I discussed sources of toxins and how they can impact the brain and development.In this podcast, I'll focus on ways to reduce exposure. I say reduce because there is no way to completely eliminate our exposure to toxins. This reality can be liberating for those who struggle with perfectionism.If you're new at this, feel good about starting. Avoid feeling bad about what you haven't done yet. (Negative thoughts aren't great for detoxification;)For me, lowering exposures has been a stepwise process. When I began, I had to avoid overwhelm and resist trying to do everything at once.Though I've familiarized myself with the most researched toxins and their specific health impacts, I try to focus more on what I can do to avoid them so I can get on with life and not think about them.Some of the most researched toxins (last I checked) include mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, PBDEs, organophosphates, glycerophosphate, BPA, BHA, BHT, PCBs, sodium benzoate, butane, tartrazine dye, potassium bromate, ADA, BVO, yellow food dye number's 5 and 6, red dye number 40, bovine growth hormone, synthetic hormones, ractopamine, phthalates, parabens, phenylenediamine, oxybenzone, acrylic, DEA, triclosan, PFAS including PFOS, benzene, chlorine, chloramine, ochratoxin, trichothecenes, aflatoxin, chaetoglobosin, gliotoxin, and zearalenone.Electromagnetic fields, though not “toxins,” are considered toxicants, which have similar impacts on our bodies and brains. I've previously shared how we can start to assess and lower those.To learn more about the root causes of brain symptoms and the consultations that I offer, visit courtneysnydermd.comDisclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for yourself or others, including but not limited to patients you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com

Matt Rutherford is one of the CO-Directors & Expedition Leaders of Ocean Research Project, which is a nonprofit whose mission is to observe the unknown and monitor humanity's impact on the Ocean through dedicated interdisciplinary field expeditions. Two of the main projects they focus on is research on the melting glaciers in Greenland as well as marine plastic pollution.  Greenland has a vast coastline and the surrounding waters are largely uncharted and under-monitored due to the harsh conditions and remote location. Therefore, the Ocean Research Project goes out and pursues the observations necessary for scientists to define the conditions for monitoring the effects of climate change on the Arctic marine environment. Then the other project we talk about is marine debris, ORP has conducted multiple research expeditions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. ORP completed its first marine debris research expedition in 2013. During this trip, its crew spent 70 days sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, collecting samples of plastic trash in the water and mapping out the eastern side of the North Atlantic garbage patch. They are now doing local work in the Chesapeake Bay and have helped increase the scientific community's understanding of plastic pollution's pervasive distribution across oceans from the sea ice to the seabed.  Ocean Research Project: https://www.oceanresearchproject.org/  Articles: Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea  PCBs and PBDEs in microplastic particles and zooplankton in open water in the Pacific Ocean and around the coast of Japan Mitigation strategies to reverse the rising trend of plastics in Polar Regions Support ORP's work: https://www.oceanresearchproject.org/support-ocean-research/ 

In this episode, we dive into the world of female hormone disruptors and how they can harm your body, steal your vitality, and impact your health. Hormone disruptors are chemicals that interfere with the natural functioning of hormones in your body. These chemicals are commonly found in personal care products, plastics, and even our food. Marsha explains how these chemicals can mimic or block hormones, leading to a host of negative health effects. We also discuss the various ways hormone disruptors can affect fertility, menstrual cycles, and even impact the health of future generations. This episode offers valuable insights and tips for reducing your exposure to hormone disruptors and promoting a healthy, hormone-balanced lifestyle. Join us as we explore this important topic and uncover the hidden dangers of poison in disguise. Some common Disruptors: Bisphenol A (BPA): commonly found in plastics, food can linings, and thermal paper receipts. Phthalates: found in cosmetics, fragrances, and plastic products. Dioxins: pollutants produced during combustion processes and industrial activities. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): industrial chemicals that were once used in electrical equipment and as additives in plastics and paints. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): a chemical used in the manufacture of non-stick coatings and stain-resistant fabrics. Atrazine: a herbicide used in agriculture. Organophosphate pesticides: a class of pesticides commonly used in agriculture. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): flame retardants found in electronics, furniture, and building materials. Triclosan: an antimicrobial agent found in many personal care products. Parabens: preservatives commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products.

HEALTH NEWS   Adding herbs and spices to meals may help lower blood pressure Texas Tech University, November 8, 2021 In a controlled-feeding study, the researchers found that seasoning foods with 6.5 grams, or about 1.3 teaspoons, of herbs and spices a day was linked with lower blood pressure after four weeks. The findings offer people a simple way to help improve their heart health. For the study, the researchers recruited 71 people with risk factors for heart disease. Every participant consumed every spice diet—one low, one moderate, and one high in herbs and spices—in a random order for four weeks each, with a two-week break between each diet period. Blood samples were drawn from each participant at the beginning of the study as well as after each diet period. The doses included a blend of 24 different herbs and spices, ranging from basil and thyme to cinnamon and turmeric, designed to simulate the way people use different herbs and spices throughout the day while cooking. The researchers found that after consuming the diet including a high dose of herbs and spices, participants had lower systolic blood pressure than after the diet with the medium dose. Participants also had lower diastolic blood pressure after the diet with a high dose of herbs and spices than after the diet with a low dose.   Bitter melon can lower blood sugar levels and even prevent cancer University of Colorado Cancer Center, November 11, 2021 Bitter melon (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter gourd and balsam pear in other parts of the world, is one of those foods that meet more than your senses of sight and taste.  A study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center demonstrated the vegetable's ability to fight pancreatic cancer, one of the hardest cancers to treat. It found that treating pancreatic cancer tumors in mice with 5 milligrams of freeze-dried bitter melon juice every day reduces the tumors' size and makes them 64 percent smaller than those in untreated mice. What more, bitter melon proved more effective than a common chemotherapy drug used in a similar study, which reduced the tumor size by only 52 percent. The researchers noted that the dosage used in the study caused no adverse effects on the mice and may be adapted for human consumption. In another study, bitter melon caused apoptosis – cellular death – in four pancreatic cancer cell lines, reducing the viability of two lines by 90 percent and the other two by an impressive 98 percent. It also halted the metastasis and re-growth of the cancer cells. Further research has shown the vegetable's activity against other types of cancer as well, including blood, colon, liver, stomach, and breast cancers. If you really don't think you can take the vegetable's flavor, you can take it in capsule form. Do note that some studies showing its benefits for blood sugar control used dosages as high as 2,000 mg a day. To ensure that bitter melon supplements are the best for your condition, it would be best to consult with your healthcare provider before taking them.   Flame retardants linked to autistic-like behavior University of California at Riverside, November 7, 2021 Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are a class of fire-retardant chemicals that are ubiquitous. They are found on upholstery, carpets, curtains, electronics, and even infant products. Flame retardants migrate out of products into dust that humans contact and can ingest.  Considered to be global environmental pollutants, they have been detected in water, soil, air, food products, animals, and human tissues. They are found, too, in breast milk of women all over the world. A research team has found that when female mice exposed to PBDEs pass on these neuroendocrine-disrupting chemicals to their developing offspring, the female offspring show traits relevant to autism spectrum disorders, or ASD. Their short-term social-recognition ability and long-term social memory is reduced significantly and the offspring show exaggerated “marble burying” behavior — repetitive behavior reminiscent of human compulsive behavior, a core symptom of ASD.  “Humans mostly rely on faces to recognize people and most autistics show deficits in face-identity processing,” Curras-Collazo explained. “Mice, on the other hand, rely on smell for social recognition. The female offspring of mother mice exposed to PBDEs showed olfactory deficits that dampened their ability to recognize other mice. In effect, these offspring do not distinguish new mice from familiar ones. Humans with ASD also show abnormal olfactory ability.”  To the authors' knowledge, their study is the first to show autistic-relevant behavior and brain changes in female offspring from maternal transfer of environmental pollutants. The behaviors were also tested in exposed mothers, but they were largely unaffected. ype and social neuropeptide alterations in female mice offspring induced by maternal transfer of PBDE congeners in the commercial mixture DE‑71.”   Two omega-3s in fish oil may boost brain function in people with heart disease   Harvard Medical School , November 8, 2021 Two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may help improve brain function in older adults who have a type of heart disease known to put people at risk for cognitive decline. A new study found that DHA and EPA, given in a combined supplement at prescription levels, improved cognitive function in older adults with coronary artery disease, or CAD. It is a common type of heart disease that occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries and hinders proper blood flow. Studies have shown people with CAD have a 45% increased risk for cognitive decline. The largest improvements in brain function were seen when higher levels of both types of omega-3 fatty acids were present in the bloodstream. When analyzed individually, DHA levels were a better predictor for cognitive improvement than EPA, suggesting the presence of one type of omega-3 fatty acid was more important than the other, the authors concluded. "The study showed EPA adds additional benefit when DHA levels are already high," said study researcher Dr. Francine Welty, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "But EPA levels alone had no predictive ability for cognitive improvement."   Despite understanding the concept of mindfulness, people are applying it incorrectly, research finds University of Waterloo (Canada), November 8, 2021 Mindful awareness is about both accepting and engaging with life's challenges, and that's what popularized concepts of mindfulness tend to miss, new research has found. Studying popular concepts of mindfulness, the researchers found most laypeople are confusing the practice with passive acceptance of problem—a misconception scientists say ignores the important work of engaging with them. Originating in Buddhist religious practice, much of the mindfulness movement's popularity grew from clinical research affirming its potential for reducing stress and related health disorders.  It is, in fact, the engagement with stressors that ultimately results in stress relief. More specifically, mindfulness includes two main dimensions: awareness and acceptance. "While we found that people seem to conceptually understand that mindfulness involves engagement, the general public is not walking the talk. Our results suggest that laypeople may understand what awareness is, but the next step of acceptance may not be well understood—limiting potential for engaging with problems," said Ellen Choi, lead author on the paper.   Bacterial pneumonia far more dangerous to the heart than viral pneumonia, study finds   Intermountain Medical Center (Utah), November 11, 2021   Heart complications in patients diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia are more serious than in patients diagnosed with viral pneumonia, according to new research. In the study of nearly 5,000 patients, researchers found that patients diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia had a 60 percent greater risk of a heart attack, stroke, or death than patients who had been diagnosed with viral pneumonia. "We've always known pneumonia was a risk factor for a major adverse cardiac event, like a heart attack, within the first 90 days of being diagnosed," said J. Brent Muhlestein, MD, a cardiovascular researcher with the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center. "What we didn't know was which type of pneumonia was more dangerous. The results of this study provided a clear answer, which will allow physicians to better monitor patients and focus on reducing their risk of a major adverse cardiac event." Nearly 80 percent of the patients were diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia, and 34 percent (1,270 patients) of them had a major cardiovascular event within 90 days. At the same time, 21 percent of the patients were diagnosed with viral pneumonia, and 26 percent (258 patients) had a major adverse event within the 90-day window. "The likely underlying cause is that bacterial pneumonia causes greater inflammation of the arteries compared to viral pneumonia," said Dr. Muhlestein.   Researchers find exposure to microplastics may alter cellular function Florida State University, November 11, 2021 Pollution from miniscule pieces of plastic, or microplastics, have been a growing concern for scientists, public health advocates and environmentalists as these nondegradable items have increasingly made their way into waterways and even the air we breathe.  Now, a team researchers found that exposure to microplastics for only a few days caused human lung cells to slow down their metabolism and growth, change shapes, and decluster so that gaps exist in what is typically a solid sheet of cells. The findings raise questions about the long-term effects of microplastics on human health, particularly for those who already have respiratory conditions.   The team exposed lung cells in a petri dish to small amounts of polystyrene at levels that are commonly found in the environment and found that though the plastic didn't cause cell death, it caused some interesting changes. After only a few days, they found that the cell's metabolic processes had slowed down, cell proliferation was inhibited, the shape of the cell morphed and the delustering had occurred. Additionally, the team found that the microplastic particles were uptaken by the cells and had formed a ring around the nucleus in the cell.  

An estimated 8 million migratory shorebirds frequent the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) annually. In recent years, global change has resulted in population declines of up to 80% in some species of this flyway. To greater understand the threat that pollution poses to migratory shorebirds of the EAAF, Toby Ross, through Deakin University, is studying three relatively common migrants that frequent Australian coasts every Austral summer. Ruddy turnstones, Curlew sandpipers and Red-necked stints act as good indicator species for the health of the flyway due to their diverse migration routes and strategies, foraging behaviours, and conservation status. The annual presence of these birds along the Australian coast allows us to ascertain population dynamics such as breeding success and rate of decline of these species through counts and continual banding studies, particularly by the Victorian Wader Study Group (VWSG). These field studies, predominantly along the Victorian coast and on King Island (TAS), have accrued a decade's worth of blood cell and serum samples, allowing us to gain an in-depth understanding of the pollutant loads these birds accumulate. Blood cell and serum samples continue to be analysed for pollutant data by his co-supervisor Prof. Veerle Jaspers and her team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Toby has access to an extensive, unique set of data that allows him to examine accumulation dynamics of pollution in populations of shorebirds, looking into a range of heavy metal pollutants (for example, lead and mercury), as well as persistent, organic pollutants (POPs) which may include (but are not limited to) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Thus far, the primary contaminants Toby is looking at in these blood samples are PFASs. Toby is looking into pollutant load comparisons between his three chosen species to garner a broad understanding of pollutant loads in shorebirds, allowing comparisons to be drawn between their varying foraging and migratory strategies as well as population trends. Following these PFAS analyses, Toby hopes to further broaden my scope of pollutant analyses to include heavy metal pollutants such as lead and mercury, and other POPs as well – watch this space! Photo - Ken Gosbell Photo - Ken Gosbell   Photo - Ken Gosbell Currently trying to get some eyes and subscribers on The Bird Emergency on YouTube, so I can put a bit more effort into the video side of things, so if you would like more visual content, please subscribe, and I will watch with interest if that's what you want!

Anti-aging compound improves muscle glucose metabolism in people Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, April 25, 2021 A natural compound previously demonstrated to counteract aspects of aging and improve metabolic health in mice has clinically relevant effects in people, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A small clinical trial of postmenopausal women with prediabetes shows that the compound NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) improved the ability of insulin to increase glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, which often is abnormal in people with obesity, prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. NMN also improved expression of genes that are involved in muscle structure and remodeling. However, the treatment did not lower blood glucose or blood pressure, improve blood lipid profile, increase insulin sensitivity in the liver, reduce fat in the liver or decrease circulating markers of inflammation as seen in mice. The study, published online April 22 in the journal Science, is the first randomized clinical trial to look at the metabolic effects of NMN administration in people. Among the women in the study, 13 received 250 mg of NMN orally every day for 10 weeks, and 12 were given an inactive placebo every day over the same period. "Although our study shows a beneficial effect of NMN in skeletal muscle, it is premature to make any clinical recommendations based on the results from our study," said senior investigator Samuel Klein, MD, the William H. Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science and director of the Center for Human Nutrition. "Normally, when a treatment improves insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle, as is observed with weight loss or some diabetes medications, there also are related improvements in other markers of metabolic health, which we did not detect in our study participants." The remarkable beneficial effects of NMN in rodents have led several companies in Japan, China and in the U.S. to market the compound as a dietary supplement or a neutraceutical. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not authorized to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed, and many people in the U.S. and around the world now take NMN despite the lack of evidence to show clinical benefits in people. The researchers studied 25 postmenopausal women who had prediabetes, meaning they had higher than normal blood sugar levels, but the levels were not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. Women were enrolled in this trial because mouse studies showed NMN had the greatest effects in female mice. NMN is involved in producing an important compound in all cells, called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD plays a vital role in keeping animals healthy. Levels of NAD decline with age in a broad range of animals, including humans, and the compound has been shown to contribute to a variety of aging-associated problems, including insulin resistance in studies conducted in mice. Supplementing animals with NMN slows and ameliorates age-related decline in the function of many tissues in the body. Co-investigator Shin-ichiro Imai, MD, Ph.D., a professor of developmental biology and of medicine who has been studying NMN for almost two decades and first reported on its benefits in mice said, "This is one step toward the development of an anti-aging intervention, though more research is needed to fully understand the cellular mechanisms responsible for the effects observed in skeletal muscle in people." Insulin enhances glucose uptake and storage in muscle, so people who are resistant to insulin are at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. But the researchers caution that more studies are needed to determine whether NMN has beneficial effects in the prevention or management of prediabetes or diabetes in people. Klein and Imai are continuing to evaluate NMN in another trial involving men as well as women.   High dose of vitamin D fails to improve condition of moderate to severe COVID-19 patients   University of São Paulo's Medical School (Brazil), April 26, 2021 Can a high dose of vitamin D administered on admission to hospital improve the condition of patients with moderate or severe COVID-19? The answer is no, according to a Brazilian study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The article reports a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the kind of study considered the gold standard to evaluate drug efficacy. It was conducted with FAPESP's support by researchers at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP), who recruited 240 patients treated at Hospital das Clínicas (HC), the hospitalcomplex run by FM-USP, and the Ibirapuera field hospital in São Paulo City in June-August 2020. "In vitro studies or trials with animals had previously shown that in certain situations vitamin D and its metabolites can have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects, as well as modulating the immune response. We decided to investigate whether a high dose of the substance could have a protective effect in the context of an acute viral infection, reducing either the inflammation or the viral load," Rosa Pereira, principal investigator for the project, told Agência FAPESP. The volunteers were randomly divided into two groups, one of which was given vitamin D3 in a single dose of 200,000 units (IU) dissolved in a peanut oil solution. The other group was given only the peanut oil solution. All participants were treated according to the standard protocol for hospital treatment of the disease, which includes administration of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. The main purpose was to see if acute supplementation would affect the length of hospital stay for these patients, but the researchers also wanted to find out whether it would mitigate the risks of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), intubation and death. No significant difference between the groups was observed for any of these clinical outcomes. According to Pereira, the study was designed above all to assess the impact on hospital stay and a larger number of volunteers would be needed to achieve a scientifically acceptable estimate of the effect on mortality. "So far we can say there's no indication to administer vitamin D to patients who come to the hospital with severe COVID-19," she said. For Bruno Gualano, a researcher at FM-USP and penultimate author of the article, the findings show that at least for now there is no "silver bullet" for the treatment of COVID-19. "But that doesn't mean continuous use of vitamin D can't have beneficial effects of some kind," he said. Ideal dose Pereira is currently leading a study at FM-USP to find out whether subjects with sufficient circulating levels of vitamin D combat infection by SARS-CoV-2 better than those with insufficient levels of the nutrient. The ideal level of vitamin D in the blood and the daily supplementation dose vary according to age and overall health, she explained. Older people and patients with chronic diseases including osteoporosis should have more than 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/mL). For healthy adults, 20 ng/mL is an acceptable threshold. "The ideal approach is case-by-case analysis, if necessary dosing the substance periodically by means of blood work, with supplementation if a deficiency is detected," Pereira said.         Sufficient serum vitamin D before 20 weeks of pregnancy reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus Fudan University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital (China), April 16, 2021 A new study on Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions - Obesity and Diabetes is now available. According to news originating from Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels before 20 weeks of pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. This study is a retrospective study.” Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Fudan University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, “We analyzed the relationship between serum 25 (OH) D level before 20 weeks of pregnancy (first antenatal examination) and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Age, parity and pre-pregnancy body mass index were used as confounding factors. 8468 pregnant women were enrolled in this study between January 2018 and March 2020 at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. Adjusted smoothing splinespline plots, subgroup analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the relative risk between 25(OH)D and gestational diabetes mellitus. After fully adjusting the confounding factors, serum vitamin D is a protective factor in gestational diabetes mellitus (OR=0.90). Compared with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D insufficiency (OR=0.78), sufficience (OR=0.82) are a protective factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Sufficience vitamin D before 20 weeks of pregnancy is a protective factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D>20 ng/mL can reduce the risk of GDM, which is not much different from the effect of >30 ng/mL.” According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The protective effect of vitamin D is more significant in obese pregnant women.”     Review summarizes known links between endocrine disruptors and breast cancer risk University of Eastern Finland, April 20, 2021 Exposure to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals could elevate the risk of breast cancer, according to a new comprehensive systematic review of epidemiological research. However, for many chemicals, evidence is inconsistent or still limited. The review was carried out by researchers at the universities of Hong Kong and Eastern Finland and published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can interfere with the body's hormonal system, also called the endocrine system, and are widely present in the environment. They originate from a variety of sources, including pesticides, plasticisers and other industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals, as well as natural sources. Humans are often exposed to EDCs through food, but other possible exposure routes include drinking water, skin contact and air. Breast cancer accounts for the majority of women's cancers. There has been an increasing interest in the role of estrogene-mimicking EDCs, so called xenoestrogens, in the development of breast cancer. They comprise a broad range of pesticides, synthetic chemicals, phytoestrogens and certain mycotoxins. The researchers reviewed 131 epidemiological studies evaluating the link between xenoestrogen exposure and breast cancer. Most studies assessed exposures by measuring the EDCs and their metabolites in urine, serum, plasma or adipose tissues.  Some may be genetically more vulnerable to EDCs According to the review, the nowadays widely banned pesticide DDT is one of the most studied EDCs in relation to breast cancer risk. Out of 43 epidemiological studies, eleven reported positive associations between DDT or its metabolites in lipid, serum or plasma and breast cancer incidence. Nine reported higher DDT levels among women with breast cancer than among controls. In a few studies, DDT was linked to estrogen-positive breast cancer or the association to breast cancer risk depended on genotype.  Polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs, are a large group of compounds earlier much used in electrical devices, surface coatings and other purposes. The review of 50 studies found the association between total PCBs and breast cancer risk to be inconsistent. However, 19 studies linked certain PCBs to a higher breast cancer incidence. Similar to DTT, PCBs accumulate in the adipose tissue and in the food chain and can be excreted in breast milk.  Perfluorooctanoid acid (PFOA) found in some food packaging and cookware was linked to breast cancer risk in three out of five epidemiological studies. Some studies found an association between cancer risk and certain genotypes both for PCBs and PFOAs. DDT, PCBs ja PFOA are POP substances, persistent organic pollutants, the use of which is strictly regulated. DDT ja PCBs are old POP substances and their levels in the environment are decreasing. PFOA is a newer POP substance. Phytoestrogens were found beneficial in some, but not all studies Phytoestrogens are natural plant estrogens that have been suggested to prevent breast cancer. Genistein is a phytoestrogen found in soy products. The review included 29 epidemiological studies focusing on genistein, 18 of which linked it to a lower breast cancer risk, although some only in certain age groups or populations. For most EDCs included in the review, the link to breast cancer has been investigated in only a few epidemiological studies. Phtalates and bisphenol A (BPA), for example, are used in plastic packaging and can transfer to food. According to the review, four out of six studies linked phthalates to increased breast cancer risk. BPA was linked to more aggressive tumours in one study, but two other epidemiological studies found no link to breast cancer. Parabens are common preservatives in foods and cosmetic products and considered possible endocrine disruptors. The only epidemiological study on the topic reported a link between paraben exposures, breast cancer risk and mortality following breast cancer.  Oral contraceptive use was linked to an increased breast cancer risk in seven out of eight epidemiological studies, but there were controversies on how duration or discontinuation of oral contraceptive use affected the risk. The review also included the herbicide atrazine, the industrial by-product dioxine, mycotoxins produced by food and crop molds, and PBDEs found in household furniture coatings and appliances, but epidemiological studies on their links to breast cancer risk were still scarce and often inconsistent.  The writers point out that for EDCs to disrupt endocrine functions, dose, time, duration and age at exposure all matter. In addition, as multiple EDCs coexist in the environment, more research is needed to evaluate their interactive effects on breast cancer risk. The review also suggests that genotypes could determine whether EDC exposure affects breast cancer risk, and more research is needed on this topic. "One example is the polymorphism of the CYP1A1 gene, which is responsible for estrogen metabolism." According to the writers, next-generation technologies, such as genome sequencing, proteomics or epigenomics, can help identify new exposure biomarkers with better sensitivity and specificity. "These technologies will also pave way to better assessment of past exposure and prediction of future risks, by taking into account an individual's genetic profile."     Grape seed extract may protect gut from inflammation: Study Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain), April 25, 2021 Proanthocyanidin-rich grape seed extracts may protect the intestines from the deleterious effects of a high-fat/high-carbohydrate diet, according to data from a rat study. A high-fat/high-carbohydrate diet or Western diet has been reported to produce changes in the intestine, explained researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. “Concretely, several recent studies have provided compelling new evidence to suggest that changes in the epithelial barrier function and intestinal inflammation are associated with and could even lead to altered regulation of body weight and glucose homeostasis,” they added. “The main consequence of the gut barrier dysfunction has been proposed to be the entry of toxins from the intestinal lumen, which can trigger local inflammation or gain access to the circulation and induce systemic inflammation through cytokine release.” Their new research indicated that a grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) may protect the gut from such harmful effects. Study details Data published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research reveals that supplementing the diet of lab rats with medium or high-dose proanthocyanidins had beneficial impacts on intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and barrier function. The medium dose was 25 mg/kg, which is a dose similar to the dietary proanthocyanidin intake in humans, explained the researchers. The high dose (50 mg/kg) would exceed the dietary proanthocyanidin intake in humans. Thirty-six week-old rats were fed a Western diet for 15 weeks and then divided into one of four supplementation groups, receiving 0 mg/kg (control), 5 mg/kg (low dose), 25 mg/kg, or 50 mg/kg for an additional three weeks. Results showed that intestinal inflammation, assessed by measuring myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, significantly increased in the control animals, but these increases were reduced in the rats receiving the grape seed extract. In addition, significant reductions in plasma levels of reactive oxygen species were observed in the medium and high dose groups, compared to the control group. Tight junctions The researchers also examined the function of the intestinal barrier, and looked specifically at so-called tight junctions (TJ) between cells in the lining of the intestine – the epithelium. On one side is the intestinal cavity and on the other is a mass of cells and tissues. In a healthy system, materials in the cavity find their way into tissues by passing through the cells, which controls which substances pass through. In an unhealthy system, the tight junctions are not so tight and materials can bypass the cells and find their way into tissues via the tight junctions. This increase in intestinal permeability has been referred to as "leaky gut". “Another point of interest in this study was to evaluate whether GSPE could modulate the alterations in the permeability of the intestinal barrier that are related to the state of intestinal inflammation,” wrote the researchers. “Our findings indicate that the TJ  proteins were negatively associated with measures of adiposity and with the circulating levels of [triglycerides]. These are not causal associations, but they suggest that increased adiposity is accompanied by lower expression of TJ components, which is in agreement with the hypothesis that obesity and a [high-fat diet] are associated with increased intestinal permeability. Then, given the importance of having a healthy barrier function, dietary interventions that can modulate the intestinal permeability might afford an effective tool for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases associated with obesity.” The researchers concluded: “Our findings indicate that orally administered GSPE modulates the intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and possibly the barrier function. Based on these findings, our data suggest that nutritional and/or therapeutic interventions focused on gut health and modulation of the intestinal permeability should be extensively explored in the context of obesity.”   Antidepressant use in pregnancy tied to affective disorders in offspring; no causal link   Mount Sinai Hospital, April 12, 2021 Major depressive disorder is highly prevalent, with one in five people experiencing an episode at some point in their life, and is almost twice as common in women than in men. Antidepressants are usually given as a first-line treatment, including during pregnancy, either to prevent the recurrence of depression, or as acute treatment in newly depressed patients. Antidepressant use during pregnancy is widespread and since antidepressants cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier, concern exists about potential long-term effects of intrauterine antidepressant exposure in the unborn child.  Using the Danish National Registers to follow more than 42,000 singleton babies born during 1998-2011 for up to 18 years, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai investigated whether exposure to antidepressants in the womb would increase the risk of developing affective disorder like depression and anxiety in the child. In a study published April 5 in Neuropsychopharmacology,the scientists found that children whose mothers continued antidepressants during pregnancy had a higher risk of affective disorders than children whose mothers stopped taking antidepressants before pregnancy. However, to understand whether the underlying disorder for which the antidepressant was given or the medication itself was linked to the child's risk of developing an affective disorder, they also studied the effect of paternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and similarly, found that children of fathers who took antidepressants throughout pregnancy had a higher risk for affective disorders. Thus, the research team speculates that rather than being an intrauterine effect, the observed link is most likely due to the parental mental illness underlying the antidepressant use.  "Approximately half of women who use antidepressants before pregnancy decide to discontinue use either before or during pregnancy due to concerns about the negative consequences for their child," said Anna-Sophie Romel, PhD, an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Icahn Mount Sinai and first author of the paper. "Our study does not provide evidence for a causal relationship between in-utero exposure to antidepressants and affective disorders in the child. So, while other long-term effects of intrauterine exposure to antidepressants remain to be investigated, our work supports antidepressant continuation for women with severe symptoms or a high risk of relapse because untreated psychiatric illness during pregnancy can have negative consequences on the health and development of the child. Women and their health care providers should carefully weigh all of the treatment options and jointly decide on the best course of action."   Staying Active Can Fight Declines in Cognitive Engagement   North Carolina State University, April 22, 2021   Preserving physical and mental health helps older adults experiencing cognitive impairment stave off declines in cognitive engagement, a new study suggests “We found that declines in physical and mental health were associated with more pronounced cognitive disengagement,” says Shevaun Neupert, professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the study published in Entropy. “The impact of declines in physical health was particularly pronounced for study participants who had more advanced cognitive impairment to begin with.” There’s a lot of research showing that cognitive engagement can help older adults maintain cognitive health. However, the vast majority of that work has been done on healthy adults. “There’s very little work on cognitive engagement in people who are already cognitively impaired, such as people who have been diagnosed with dementia,” Neupert says. “Are they still capable of sustained cognitive engagement? What factors contribute to that engagement?” To begin addressing those questions, the researchers enlisted 28 study participants. All of the participants were over 60 and had documented cognitive impairment. Participants came to a testing site two times, six months apart. On each visit, researchers collected data on the physical and mental health of the study participants and performed a battery of tests designed to assess cognitive ability. They also connected participants to a device that tracked blood pressure continuously and then asked them to engage in a series of increasingly difficult cognitive tasks. This allowed researchers to track how cognitive engagement changed as the tasks become progressively harder. Cognitive engagement means taking part in activities that are mentally challenging. Monitoring blood pressure allows the researchers to track how hard study participants are working to accomplish cognitive tasks. Specifically, blood pressure rises as more blood is pumped to the brain when participants work harder at these tasks. Broadly speaking, the researchers found that if a participant’s cognitive ability, physical health, or mental health declined over the course of the six month study period, that participant became less cognitively engaged as the tasks became harder. “Normally, you’d expect more engagement as the tasks became harder, but we found that some people essentially stopped trying,” says coauthor Claire Growney, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. “The findings highlight the fact that well-being is holistic; physical health, mental health, and cognitive function can influence each other,” says coauthor Xianghe Zhu, a recent PhD graduate of NC State. “In practical terms, it suggests that it may be particularly important for people to focus on mental and physical well-being during the early stages of cognitive decline,” Growney says. “Or, at the very least, don’t become so focused on addressing cognitive challenges that you ignore physical health, or create anxiety or emotional distress for yourself that leads to mental health problems.” “Future research will be needed to determine how beneficial it might be for people to take part in cognitively engaging activities once they’ve started experiencing cognitive decline,” Neupert says. “But we already know that there is an element of ‘use it or lose it’ to cognitive function in healthy adults. And while it’s understandable for people to want to avoid tasks that are difficult or challenging, it’s really important to continue challenging ourselves to take part in difficult cognitive activities.”

Although food has incredible healing power, there is more you should be doing to take care of your body holistically.    Beyond helping his patients transition to a whole-foods, plant-based diet to fight disease and improve their guts, James Marin is an expert at bettering health from all angles, including by eliminating environmental toxins.     James is a Registered Dietitian and Environmental Nutritionist who, along with his wife Dahlia, specializes in preventing and healing diabetes, auto-immune diets, gastrointestinal treatments, and pediatric nutrition.    He says that there are three levels of health, all of which work together to keep your body working the way it’s meant to.    He joins Dotsie and Alexandra to explain the different levels of health, the impact the environment has on your body, and what you can do to ensure longer-term health.    You’ll hear his how he treats disease by focusing on the cause over symptoms, why it’s necessary for you to pay attention to GMOs and chemicals in your food, and why you need to be part of environmental activism.    Tune in to hear actionable advice that will empower you to take control over the entire picture of your health.    What we discuss in this episode:   - Is a low-carb diet the best option for Type II diabetics? Hear why James Marin believes treatment needs to go beyond limiting symptoms, plus the hidden dangers of a long term keto diet   - Are all sugars bad? The big difference between processed sugar and sugar you find in whole foods   - James’s plant-based food pyramid that makes it even easier to eat healthfully    - The three layers of health and why we can’t ignore the effects the environment has on our gut health    - Why a vegan diet on its own might not be healing your body, and how you can ensure you’re taking care of all three levels of health   - The secret to washing your fruits and vegetables if you want to avoid dangerous chemicals   - Breast milk as a medium to transfer data: What we’re putting into our bodies when we drink cows’ milk that has bioaccumulated PCBs and PBDEs   - The major difference between selective breeding and genetic modification -- and why the latter is so dangerous    - You can be part of the solution: What you can do to advocate for a healthier future   - Follow James on Instagram at @marriedtohealth, on Twitter at @marriedtohealth, on Facebook at @MarriedToHealth, at YourGutConnection.com, and at MarriedToHealth.com.    Connect with Switch4Good   - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2toqAmlQpwR1HDF_KKfGg   - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Switch4Good/   - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/switch4good/   - Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwitchForGood   - Website: switch4good.org

Although food has incredible healing power, there is more you should be doing to take care of your body holistically.    Beyond helping his patients transition to a whole-foods, plant-based diet to fight disease and improve their guts, James Marin is an expert at bettering health from all angles, including by eliminating environmental toxins.     James is a Registered Dietitian and Environmental Nutritionist who, along with his wife Dahlia, specializes in preventing and healing diabetes, auto-immune diets, gastrointestinal treatments, and pediatric nutrition.    He says that there are three levels of health, all of which work together to keep your body working the way it’s meant to.    He joins Dotsie and Alexandra to explain the different levels of health, the impact the environment has on your body, and what you can do to ensure longer-term health.    You’ll hear his how he treats disease by focusing on the cause over symptoms, why it’s necessary for you to pay attention to GMOs and chemicals in your food, and why you need to be part of environmental activism.    Tune in to hear actionable advice that will empower you to take control over the entire picture of your health.    What we discuss in this episode:   - Is a low-carb diet the best option for Type II diabetics? Hear why James Marin believes treatment needs to go beyond limiting symptoms, plus the hidden dangers of a long term keto diet   - Are all sugars bad? The big difference between processed sugar and sugar you find in whole foods   - James’s plant-based food pyramid that makes it even easier to eat healthfully    - The three layers of health and why we can’t ignore the effects the environment has on our gut health    - Why a vegan diet on its own might not be healing your body, and how you can ensure you’re taking care of all three levels of health   - The secret to washing your fruits and vegetables if you want to avoid dangerous chemicals   - Breast milk as a medium to transfer data: What we’re putting into our bodies when we drink cows’ milk that has bioaccumulated PCBs and PBDEs   - The major difference between selective breeding and genetic modification -- and why the latter is so dangerous    - You can be part of the solution: What you can do to advocate for a healthier future   - Follow James on Instagram at @marriedtohealth, on Twitter at @marriedtohealth, on Facebook at @MarriedToHealth, at YourGutConnection.com, and at MarriedToHealth.com.    Connect with Switch4Good   - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ2toqAmlQpwR1HDF_KKfGg   - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Switch4Good/   - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/switch4good/   - Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwitchForGood   - Website: switch4good.org

Episode 1131. Today, I welcome Dr. Maurice Pitesky, DVM, MPVM, Dipl ACVPM and  Dr. Birgit Puschner, BS, DVM, PhD. The focus will be on the relationship between chemicals (heavy metals, PCBs, PBDEs) in the environment and food safety with a focus on eggs.. Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer®, brought to you by Kalmbach Feeds, is a nationally broadcast web radio show and podcast all about keeping backyard poultry, show poultry, heritage poultry, and living a self-sufficiant lifestyle. Each week, the Chicken Whisperer®, Editor In Chief of, Chicken Whisperer Magazine, Author of, The Chicken Whisperer's Guide To Keeping Chickens, and Chicken Fact or Chicken Poop, and National Spokesperson for the USDA-APHIS Biosecurity for Birds Program, welcomes experts in their field from around the country to share their knowledge about backyard poultry, show poultry, heritage poultry, and living a self-sufficiant lifestyle. Regular guests include, poultry scientist and professor, Dr. Brigid McCrea, Ph.D., poultry veterinarian, Dr. Maurice Pitesky, DVM, MPVM, Dipl ACVPM, Peter Brown, aka The Chicken Doctor, Alexandra Douglas, aka The Quail Lady, and more! Other guests include, but are not limited to, FFA members, 4H members, poultry club members, and the who's who in the backyard poultry, show poultry, and self-sufficiant lifestyle industries. The Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer® web radio show has given away more chicken coops, and chicken related prizes than anyone else on the planet! Tune in to learn more about your backyard chickens from the experts!

Exposure to flame retardant chemicals or PBDEs during pregnancy can affect children’s neurodevelopment. Environmental health scientist Tracey Woodruff of the University of California, San Francisco, found ten-fold increases in a mother's PBDE levels could lead to a drop of 3.7 IQ points in her child. While that may sound like a small number… "If you look at it over a population, it becomes very significant, because you have everybody exposed to PBDEs at a smaller risk. The small risk over a large population means that you can have a relatively large number of people who can have some type of effect." If this happens, the population level IQ could get shifted. This means there will be more people with an IQ score of about 70, which is considered a mentally-impaired category. “It can also decrease the number of people who are in the mentally-gifted categories." PBDEs can be found in many household items from furniture to toys to electronics. So, Woodruff says buying flame retardant-free products could make a big difference in your children’s health.

A couple of decades ago flame retardants – or PBDEs - were widely used in furniture because of the fire safety standards. But that policy has since changed in many states, including California. “Because of concern about increasing exposures as well as the facts that people were concerned about in terms of how they may be affecting neurodevelopment, PBDE were phased out for use.” That’s Tracey Woodruff, an environmental health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco. She has run a study measuring pregnant women’s exposure to PBDEs that can affect children’s neurodevelopment and lower IQ. Woodruff found that despite a series of bans, these chemicals are still ubiquitous in our homes. “So we see decline in some of the exposures, but we see that we still going to have exposures for a while because they are still hanging around, they probably still in a lot of furniture." Woodruff urges policymakers not to weaken environmental health laws.

If your home has furniture that contains flame retardant materials, you may want to consider getting rid of it. A study by Tracey Woodruff, an environmental health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, has shown that exposure to flame retardant chemicals, or PBDEs, may affect your health. "The thing about the flame retardants use in a polyurethane foam is that they are not bound to the polyurethane, so they can get out and they can get into dust, and then they can migrate through dust, and people can get exposed through the dust, and they can also get into food. Another thing about PBDEs is that their chemical structure is such that it makes them persistent: once they get out they don’t break down, they hang around in the environment." According to Woodruff, pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable. PBDEs may slow down children’s neurodevelopment, lower their IQ and possibly increase the risk of ADHD. "Children may be more highly exposed to PBDEs, as it gets out in dust, because they are lower to the ground, they crawl around, they put their hands in their mouth." So, not having furniture with these chemicals is the safest bet.

Exposure to flame retardant chemicals or PBDEs during pregnancy can affect children’s neurodevelopment. That’s according to Tracey Woodruff, an environmental health scientist at the University of California, San Francisco. “There’s been studies in multiple locations including the United States and in other countries around the world and what was found was that women with higher exposures to PBDEs during pregnancies, their children had lower IQ scores.” Woodruff says they measured IQ scores of 5 to 7-year-old exposed to these chemicals in infancy. “For about 10-fold increase in PBDEs there was a drop of IQ score of about 4 IQ points." But how did women get exposed to the chemicals? Turns out, through furnishings at home. “PBDE flame retardants are the class of chemicals that were used primarily in upholstered furniture, so polyurethane foam. They were put in as a requirement to flammability standards. They are also used sometimes in electronics."

Dr. Sheldon Feldman is chief of breast surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and assistant professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he oversees the breast cancer surgery program at the Comprehensive Breast Center of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, and work in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons and other breast cancer support staff. Dr. Feldman is helping to pioneer the use of the ductoscope, a tiny endoscope inserted through the patient's nipple used for diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of cancer patients. His research using the device may help lead to a simple test for early diagnosis that could eventually be the equivalent of a Pap smear for breast cancer. Dr. Feldman anticipates that the intraductal approach will ultimately be used to treat early breast cancer as well as ablating the milk ducts to prevent cancer development for high-risk women as an alternative to mastectomy. A leader in minimally invasive breast cancer surgery, Dr. Feldman was instrumental in developing the transmammary axillary lymph node evaluation (TANE) procedure, which requires only a single incision for lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. He is also an expert in oncoplastic skin-sparing and nipple-preserving mastectomy. His research interests are focused on preventing the disease through a better understanding of environmental toxins linked to breast cancer, including chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and PBDEs, and he is helping to investigate new biopharmaceutical treatments, including green tea extract and vitamin D.

Dr. Sheldon Feldman is chief of breast surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and assistant professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons where he oversees the breast cancer surgery program at the Comprehensive Breast Center of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, and work in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of radiologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, plastic surgeons and other breast cancer support staff. Dr. Feldman is helping to pioneer the use of the ductoscope, a tiny endoscope inserted through the patient's nipple used for diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of cancer patients. His research using the device may help lead to a simple test for early diagnosis that could eventually be the equivalent of a Pap smear for breast cancer. Dr. Feldman anticipates that the intraductal approach will ultimately be used to treat early breast cancer as well as ablating the milk ducts to prevent cancer development for high-risk women as an alternative to mastectomy. A leader in minimally invasive breast cancer surgery, Dr. Feldman was instrumental in developing the transmammary axillary lymph node evaluation (TANE) procedure, which requires only a single incision for lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. He is also an expert in oncoplastic skin-sparing and nipple-preserving mastectomy. His research interests are focused on preventing the disease through a better understanding of environmental toxins linked to breast cancer, including chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and PBDEs, and he is helping to investigate new biopharmaceutical treatments, including green tea extract and vitamin D.

Guest: Dr. Susan Shaw, environmental health scientist, author and Dr. of Public Health is investigating toxic chemical exposure in firefighters. Decades of heavy use of brominated flame retardants (PBDEs), resulted in many toxic chemicals in our couches, carpets, baby strollers, plastic TV casings, computers, and foam insulation. In fact, Americans have 10-40 times higher levels in their bodies than Europeans or Asians. What does this mean when firefighters enter a burning house or business? When the soot permeates their skin through their gear? The research is still unfolding more evidence of danger. Co-host Dr. Peter Hofland, www.oncozine.com. Joni live M-F at 2:00 p.m. ET on www.W4CS.com. www.JoniAldrich.com

A 2009 NOAA report finds that man-made toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in consumer products are found in all U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. The chemicals-Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, or PBDEs-have generated international concern in recent years due to their global distribution and associated adverse environmental and human health effects. We talk with one of the authors of the report. [This is a rebroadcast of an episode that originally aired on April 1, 2009]

Flame retardants known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are added to products such as furniture, car seats, textiles, and electronics. These chemicals improve safety by giving consumers more time to react if a fire breaks out. But now they are also showing up in the food we eat, the dust in our houses, and the bodies of possibly the entire U.S. population; meanwhile, recent evidence suggests the potential for worrisome neurodevelopmental effects. In this podcast, Heather Stapleton discusses what we know about routes of PBDE exposure and how these exposures may affect human health. Stapleton is an assistant professor of environmental chemistry at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and coauthor of "Metabolism of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) by Human Hepatocytes in Vitro." Visit the podcast webpage to download a full transcript of this podcast. 7KbQa51d9Suzkb8B384c 7KbQa51d9Suzkb8B384c

A new NOAA report finds that man-made toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in consumer products are found in all U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. The chemicals--Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, or PBDEs--have generated international concern in recent years due to their global distribution and associated adverse environmental and human health effects. We talk with one of the authors of the report.