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vom Saal FS, Antoniou M, Belcher SM, Bergman A, Bhandari RK, Birnbaum LS, Cohen A, Collins TJ, Demeneix B, Fine AM, Flaws JA, Gayrard V, Goodson WH, Gore AC, Heindel JJ, Hunt PA, Iguchi T, Kassotis CD, Kortenkamp A, Mesnage R, Muncke J, Myers JP, Nadal A, Newbold RR, Padmanabhan V, Palanza P, Palma Z, Parmigiani S, Patrick L, Prins GS, Rosenfeld CS, Skakkebaek NE, Sonnenschein C, Soto AM, Swan SH, Taylor JA, Toutain PL, von Hippel FA, Welshons WV, Zalko D, Zoeller RT. The Conflict between Regulatory Agencies over the 20,000-Fold Lowering of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for Bisphenol A (BPA) by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:45001. [PMID: 38592230 PMCID: PMC11003459 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended lowering their estimated tolerable daily intake (TDI) for bisphenol A (BPA) 20,000-fold to 0.2 ng / kg body weight ( BW ) / day . BPA is an extensively studied high production volume endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) associated with a vast array of diseases. Prior risk assessments of BPA by EFSA as well as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have relied on industry-funded studies conducted under good laboratory practice protocols (GLP) requiring guideline end points and detailed record keeping, while also claiming to examine (but rejecting) thousands of published findings by academic scientists. Guideline protocols initially formalized in the mid-twentieth century are still used by many regulatory agencies. EFSA used a 21st century approach in its reassessment of BPA and conducted a transparent, but time-limited, systematic review that included both guideline and academic research. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) opposed EFSA's revision of the TDI for BPA. OBJECTIVES We identify the flaws in the assumptions that the German BfR, as well as the FDA, have used to justify maintaining the TDI for BPA at levels above what a vast amount of academic research shows to cause harm. We argue that regulatory agencies need to incorporate 21st century science into chemical hazard identifications using the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) nonguideline academic studies in a collaborative government-academic program model. DISCUSSION We strongly endorse EFSA's revised TDI for BPA and support the European Commission's (EC) apparent acceptance of this updated BPA risk assessment. We discuss challenges to current chemical risk assessment assumptions about EDCs that need to be addressed by regulatory agencies to, in our opinion, become truly protective of public health. Addressing these challenges will hopefully result in BPA, and eventually other structurally similar bisphenols (called regrettable substitutions) for which there are known adverse effects, being eliminated from all food-related and many other uses in the EU and elsewhere. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13812.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick S. vom Saal
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael Antoniou
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Scott M. Belcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ake Bergman
- Department of Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ramji K. Bhandari
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus and Former Director, National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Scholar in Residence, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aly Cohen
- Integrative Rheumatology Associates, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Terrence J. Collins
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Barbara Demeneix
- Comparative Physiology Laboratory, Natural History Museum, Paris, France
| | - Anne Marie Fine
- Environmental Medicine Education International, Mancos, Colorado, USA
| | - Jodi A. Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana—Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Veronique Gayrard
- ToxAlim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - William H. Goodson
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jerrold J. Heindel
- Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patricia A. Hunt
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Christopher D. Kassotis
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Robin Mesnage
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Angel Nadal
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE) and CIBERDEM, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Retha R. Newbold
- Scientist Emeritus, NTP, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Paola Palanza
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Parmigiani
- Unit of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Lyn Patrick
- Environmental Medicine Education International, Mancos, Colorado, USA
| | - Gail S. Prins
- Department of Urology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Cheryl S. Rosenfeld
- Biomedical Sciences, Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- MU Institute of Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Niels E. Skakkebaek
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Sonnenschein
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ana M. Soto
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shanna H. Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Julia A. Taylor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Pierre-Louis Toutain
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
- NTHERES, INRAE, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Frank A. von Hippel
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Wade V. Welshons
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Daniel Zalko
- ToxAlim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - R. Thomas Zoeller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Vandenberg LN, Mogus JP, Szabo GK. Effects of a TAML catalyst on mice exposed during pregnancy and lactation. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 125:108557. [PMID: 38360075 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Tetra-amido macrocyclic ligands (TAMLs) are catalysts designed to mimic endogenous peroxidases that can degrade pollutants. Before TAMLs gain widespread use, it is first important to determine if they have endocrine disrupting properties. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the iron TAML, NT7, on hormone-sensitive outcomes in mice exposed during pregnancy and lactation, and on their litters prior to weaning. We administered NT7 at one of three doses to mice via drinking water prior to and then throughout pregnancy and lactation. Two hormonally active pharmaceuticals, ethinyl estradiol (EE2) and flutamide (FLUT), a known estrogen receptor agonist and androgen receptor antagonist, respectively, were also included. In the females, we measured pre- and post-parturition weight, length of pregnancy, organ weights at necropsy, and morphology of the mammary gland at the end of the lactational period. We also quantified maternal behaviors at three stages of lactation. For the offspring, we measured litter size, litter weights, and the achievement of other developmental milestones. We observed only one statistically significant effect of NT7, a decrease in the percentage of pups with ear opening at postnatal day 5. This contrasts with the numerous effects of EE2 on both the mother and the litter, as well as several modest effects of FLUT. The approach taken in this study could provide guidance for future studies that aim to evaluate novel compounds for endocrine disrupting properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, USA.
| | - Joshua P Mogus
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, USA
| | - Gillian K Szabo
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, USA
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3
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Forner-Piquer I, Baig AH, Kortenkamp A. Disruption of the thyroid hormone system and patterns of altered thyroid hormones after gestational chemical exposures in rodents - a systematic review. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1323284. [PMID: 38352246 PMCID: PMC10863050 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1323284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a comprehensive overview of changes in thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) serum concentrations after pre-gestational, gestational and/or lactation exposures of rodents to various chemicals that affect the thyroid hormone system. We show that T4 and TSH changes consistent with the idealized view of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) feedback loop (T4 decrements accompanied by TSH increases) are observed with only a relatively small set of chemicals. Most substances affect concentrations of various thyroid hormones without increasing TSH. Studies of altered T4 concentrations after gestational exposures are limited to a relatively small set of chemicals in which pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals are under-represented. Our risk-of-bias analysis exposed deficits in T4/TSH analytics as a problem area. By relating patterns of T4 - TSH changes to mode-of-action (MOA) information, we found that chemicals capable of disrupting the HPT feedback frequently affected thyroid hormone synthesis, while substances that produced T4 serum decrements without accompanying TSH increases lacked this ability, but often induced liver enzyme systems responsible for the elimination of TH by glucuronidation. Importantly, a multitude of MOA leads to decrements of serum T4. The current EU approaches for identifying thyroid hormone system-disrupting chemicals, with their reliance on altered TH serum levels as indicators of a hormonal mode of action and thyroid histopathological changes as indicators of adversity, will miss chemicals that produce T4/T3 serum decreases without accompanying TSH increases. This is of concern as it may lead to a disregard for chemicals that produce developmental neurotoxicity by disrupting adequate T4/T3 supply to the brain, but without increasing TSH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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Silva GKD, de Arruda JAA, Almeida TFA, Oliveira SR, Rocha PADS, Mesquita RA, Cardeal ZDL, Menezes HC, Diniz IMA, Macari S, Leopoldino AM, Silva TA. Effects of bisphenol A on murine salivary glands and human tumor cell lines. Exp Mol Pathol 2023; 134:104870. [PMID: 37690528 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2023.104870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical with a potential role in endocrine cancers. However, the effects of BPA on the salivary glands have been barely explored. We investigated the impact of in vivo sub-chronic exposure to BPA and its in vitro effects on human salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell lines. Male and female mice were exposed to BPA (30 mg/kg/day). Sublingual and submandibular salivary glands from an estrogen-deficiency model were also analyzed. BPA concentration in salivary glands was evaluated by gas chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry. Immunohistochemical analysis using anti-p63 and anti-α-SMA antibodies was performed on mouse salivary gland tissues. Gene expression of estrogen receptors alpha and beta, P63 and α-SMA was quantified in mouse salivary gland and/or mucoepidermoid (UM-HMC-1 and UM-HMC-3A) cell lines. Cell viability, p63 and Ki-67 immunostaining were evaluated in vitro. BPA disrupted the tissue architecture of the submandibular and sublingual glands, particularly in female mice, and increased the expression of estrogen receptors and p63, effects that were accompanied by significant BPA accumulation in these tissues. Conversely, ovariectomy slightly impacted BPA-induced morphological changes. In vitro, BPA did not affect the proliferation of neoplastic cells, but augmented the expression of p63 and estrogen receptors. The present data highlight a potential harmful effect of BPA on salivary gland tissues, particularly in female mice, and salivary gland tumor cells. Our findings suggest that estrogen-dependent pathways may orchestrate the effects of BPA in salivary glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Kelly da Silva
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Alcides Almeida de Arruda
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Fernandes Araújo Almeida
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sicília Rezende Oliveira
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paula Alves da Silva Rocha
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Alves Mesquita
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Zenilda de Lourdes Cardeal
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Helvécio Costa Menezes
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Exact Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ivana Márcia Alves Diniz
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Soraia Macari
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Andréia Machado Leopoldino
- Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tarcília Aparecida Silva
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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5
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Vandenberg LN, Zoeller RT, Prins GS, Trasande L. Evaluating adverse effects of environmental agents in food: a brief critique of the US FDA's criteria. Environ Health 2023; 22:38. [PMID: 37085808 PMCID: PMC10120250 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00971-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) is charged with protecting the safety of food from both pathogens and chemicals used in food production and food packaging. To protect the public in a transparent manner, the FDA needs to have an operational definition of what it considers to be an "adverse effect" so that it can take action against harmful agents. The FDA has recently published two statements where, for the first time, it defines the characteristics of an adverse effect that it uses to interpret toxicity studies. OBJECTIVE In this brief review, we examine two recent actions by the FDA, a proposed rule regarding a color additive used in vegetarian burgers and a decision not to recall fish with high levels of scombrotoxin. We evaluated the FDA's description of the criteria used to determine which outcomes should be considered adverse. OVERVIEW We describe three reasons why the FDA's criteria for "adverse effects" is not public health protective. These include an unscientific requirement for a monotonic dose response, which conflates hazard assessment and dose response assessment while also ignoring evidence for non-linear and non-monotonic effects for many environmental agents; a requirement that the effect be observed in both sexes, which fails to acknowledge the many sex- and gender-specific effects on physiology, disease incidence and severity, and anatomy; and a requirement that the effects are irreversible, which does not acknowledge the role of exposure timing or appreciate transgenerational effects that have been demonstrated for environmental chemicals. CONCLUSIONS The FDA's criteria for identifying adverse effects are inadequate because they are not science-based. Addressing this is important, because the acknowledgement of adverse effects is central to regulatory decisions and the protection of public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, 240G Goessmann, 686 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - R Thomas Zoeller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Visiting Professor, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Gail S Prins
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Departments of Pediatrics, Environmental Medicine, and Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Hahladakis JN, Iacovidou E, Gerassimidou S. An overview of the occurrence, fate, and human risks of the bisphenol-A present in plastic materials, components, and products. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:45-62. [PMID: 35362236 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With over 95% of bisphenol-A (BPA) used in the production of polycarbonate (PC) and epoxy resins, termed here as BPA-based plastic materials, components, and products (MCPs), an investigation of human exposure to BPA over the whole lifecycle of BPA-based plastic MCPs is necessary. This mini-review unpacks the implications arising from the long-term human exposure to BPA and its potential accumulation across the lifecycle of BPA-based plastics (production, use, and management). This investigation is timely and necessary in promoting a sustainable circular economy model. Restrictions of BPA in the form of bans and safety standards are often specific to products, while safety limits rely on traditional toxicological and biomonitoring methods that may underestimate human health implications and therefore the "safety" of BPA exposure. Controversies in regards to the: (a) dose-response curves; (b) the complexity of sources, release mechanisms, and pathways of exposure; and/or (c) the quality and reliability of toxicological studies, appear to currently stifle progress toward the regulation of BPA-based plastic MCPs. Due to the abundance of BPA in our MCPs production, consumption, and management systems, there is partial and inadequate evidence on the contribution of BPA-based plastic MCPs to human exposure to BPA. Yet, the production, use, and end-of-life management of plastic MCPs constitute the most critical BPA source and potential exposure pathways that require further investigation. Active collaboration among risk assessors, government, policy-makers, and researchers is needed to explore the impacts of BPA in the long term and introduce restrictions to BPA-based MCPs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:45-62. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N Hahladakis
- Waste Management (FEWS) Program, Center for Sustainable Development, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eleni Iacovidou
- Sustainable Plastics Research Group (SPlasH), Brunel University London, London, UK
- Division of Environmental Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, UK
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7
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Tweedale AC. Correspondence on "Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Implementation: How the Amended Law Has Failed to Protect Vulnerable Populations from Toxic Chemicals in the United States". ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16533-16534. [PMID: 36322041 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony C Tweedale
- Rebutting Industry Science with Knowledge (RISK) Consultancy, 1080 Brussels, Belgium
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8
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Matouskova K, Szabo GK, Daum J, Fenton SE, Christiansen S, Soto AM, Kay JE, Cardona B, Vandenberg LN. Best practices to quantify the impact of reproductive toxicants on development, function, and diseases of the rodent mammary gland. Reprod Toxicol 2022; 112:51-67. [PMID: 35764275 PMCID: PMC9491517 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Work from numerous fields of study suggests that exposures to hormonally active chemicals during sensitive windows of development can alter mammary gland development, function, and disease risk. Stronger links between many environmental pollutants and disruptions to breast health continue to be documented in human populations, and there remain concerns that the methods utilized to identify, characterize, and prioritize these chemicals for risk assessment and risk management purposes are insufficient. There are also concerns that effects on the mammary gland have been largely ignored by regulatory agencies. Here, we provide technical guidance that is intended to enhance collection and evaluation of the mammary gland in mice and rats. We review several features of studies that should be controlled to properly evaluate the mammary gland, and then describe methods to appropriately collect the mammary gland from rodents. Furthermore, we discuss methods for preparing whole mounted mammary glands and numerous approaches that are available for the analysis of these samples. Finally, we conclude with several examples where analysis of the mammary gland revealed effects of environmental toxicants at low doses. Our work argues that the rodent mammary gland should be considered in chemical safety, hazard and risk assessments. It also suggests that improved measures of mammary gland outcomes, such as those we present in this review, should be included in the standardized methods evaluated by regulatory agencies such as the test guidelines used for identifying reproductive and developmental toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Matouskova
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Gillian K Szabo
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jessica Daum
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne E Fenton
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Sofie Christiansen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs, Lyngby DK 2800, Denmark
| | - Ana M Soto
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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Tweedale A. Comment on "Charting a Path Forward: Assessing the Science of Chemical Risk Evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act in the Context of Recent National Academies Recommendations". ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:58001. [PMID: 35507339 PMCID: PMC9067439 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Tweedale
- Rebutting Industry Science with Knowledge (RISK) Consultancy, Brussels, Belgium
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10
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Vandenberg LN, Pelch KE. Systematic Review Methodologies and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Improving Evaluations of the Plastic Monomer Bisphenol A. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2021; 22:748-764. [PMID: 34610783 DOI: 10.2174/1871530321666211005163614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in plastics, personal care products, household items, and other consumer goods. Risk assessments are intended to characterize a chemical's hazards, identify the doses at which adverse outcomes are observed, quantify exposure levels, and then compare these doses to determine the likelihood of risk in a given population. There are many problems with risk assessments for EDCs, allowing people to be exposed to levels that are later associated with serious health outcomes in epidemiology studies. OBJECTIVE In this review, we examine issues that affect the evaluation of EDCs in risk assessments (e.g., use of insensitive rodent strains and absence of disease-oriented outcomes in hazard assessments; inadequate exposure assessments). We then review one well-studied chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA; CAS #80-05-7) an EDC found in plastics, food packaging, and other consumer products. More than one hundred epidemiology studies suggest associations between BPA exposures and adverse health outcomes in environmentally exposed human populations. FINDINGS We present support for the use of systematic review methodologies in the evaluation of BPA and other EDCs. Systematic reviews would allow studies to be evaluated for their reliability and risk of bias. They would also allow all data to be used in risk assessments, which is a requirement for some regulatory agencies. CONCLUSION Systematic review methodologies can be used to improve evaluations of BPA and other EDCs. Their use could help to restore faith in risk assessments and ensure that all data are utilized in decision-making. Regulatory agencies are urged to conduct transparent, well-documented and proper systematic reviews for BPA and other EDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, United States
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11
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Vandenberg LN. Toxicity testing and endocrine disrupting chemicals. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 92:35-71. [PMID: 34452691 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory agencies around the world depend on standardized testing approaches to evaluate environmental chemicals for endocrine disrupting properties. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a two-tiered testing approach within its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). The eleven Tier 1 and three Tier 2 EDSP assays can be used to identify chemicals that act as agonists or antagonists of estrogen receptor, androgen receptor, or thyroid hormone receptor, or chemicals that interfere with steroidogenesis. Additional assays have been developed in the context of Tox21, and others have been validated by the OECD. In spite of the availability of validated toxicity tests, problems have been identified with the approaches and methods used to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). This chapter will provide an overview of several of these issues including: (1) The way an EDC is defined by an agency impacts whether a specific test can be used to determine if a chemical is an EDC. This is especially important when considering which assays examine outcomes that are considered "adverse effects." (2) Some assumptions about the validated studies used to identify EDCs may not be true (e.g., their reproducibility has been questioned). (3) Many of the validated assays are less sensitive than other methods that have not yet been validated. Ultimately, these and other problems contribute to the current landscape, where testing approaches have failed to protect the public from known EDCs. The chapter concludes with a review of approaches that have been taken to improve current guideline studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States.
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Kluxen FM, Weber K, Strupp C, Jensen SM, Hothorn LA, Garcin JC, Hofmann T. Using historical control data in bioassays for regulatory toxicology. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2021; 125:105024. [PMID: 34364928 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Historical control data (HCD) consist of pooled control group responses from bioassays. These data must be collected and are often used or reported in regulatory toxicology studies for multiple purposes: as quality assurance for the test system, to help identify toxicological effects and their effect-size relevance and to address the statistical multiple comparison problem. The current manuscript reviews the various classical and potential new approaches for using HCD. Issues in current practice are identified and recommendations for improved use and discussion are provided. Furthermore, stakeholders are invited to discuss whether it is necessary to consider uncertainty when using HCD formally and statistically in toxicological discussions and whether binary inclusion/exclusion criteria for HCD should be revised to a tiered information contribution to assessments. Overall, the critical value of HCD in toxicological bioassays is highlighted when used in a weight-of-evidence assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Signe M Jensen
- Department of Plant and Efoldnvironmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Kassotis CD, Trasande L. Endocrine disruptor global policy. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 92:1-34. [PMID: 34452684 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several decades, scientific consensus has grown around the concept and evidence for human health impacts from exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). A series of publications have now demonstrated considerable economic costs of EDC exposure-induced adverse health outcomes. This research has suggested economic burdens in the hundreds of billions, even considering only a small subset of EDCs and health. As of yet, regulatory efforts and policies to protect and decrease human exposure to most EDCs have been insufficient and have not kept pace with the science. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence, referenced throughout this collection, as well as the economic costs of inaction, described here, regulations are clearly needed. The EU and some other countries have taken promising steps towards protective regulation of EDCs, though the response of the US and many other countries has been limited or altogether lacking. Regulatory bodies that have and continue to apply risk-based approaches to regulating EDCs have also failed to consider the complete economic impacts of EDC-related health impacts. In this chapter, we will discuss broad strategies taken to regulate EDCs, examine the approaches currently taken to regulate EDCs in a global context (discussing the strengths and weaknesses of these regulations), discuss the economic costs of EDC exposures (detailing where consideration of health and economic costs could improve regulations), and discuss next steps and novel approaches to adapting existing regulatory frameworks to this class of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Kassotis
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States.
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Departments of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States; NYU College of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States
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Vandenberg LN. Endocrine disrupting chemicals: strategies to protect present and future generations. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2021; 16:135-146. [PMID: 33973826 DOI: 10.1080/17446651.2021.1917991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are chemicals that alter the actions of hormones. In the 21st Century, numerous expert groups of clinicians, scientists, and environmental activists have called for action to protect present and future generations from the harm induced by EDC exposures. These demands for regulatory responses come because of the strong weight of the evidence from epidemiology, wildlife, and controlled laboratory studies.Areas covered: In this review, we examine the conclusions drawn by experts from different scientific and medical disciplines. We also address several areas where recent findings or work has changed the landscape of EDC work including new approaches to identify and evaluate the evidence for EDCs using a key characteristics approach, the need to expand our understanding of vulnerable periods of development, and the increasing concern that traditional methods used to evaluate toxicity of environmental chemicals are insufficient for EDCs and how collaborative science could help to address these gaps.Expert opinion: The science is clear: there is more than enough evidence to demonstrate that EDCs affect the health of humans and wildlife. Waiting to act is a decision that puts the health of current and future generations at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA USA
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Abstract
The widespread use of plastic packaging for storing, transporting, and conveniently preparing or serving foodstuffs is significantly contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. This has led to many efforts directed toward amending plastic packaging’s end of life, such as recycling, or alternative material approaches, like increasingly using paper for food packaging. But these approaches often neglect the critical issue of chemical migration: When contacting foodstuffs, chemicals that are present in packaging transfer into food and thus unwittingly become part of the human diet. Hazardous chemicals, such as endocrine disrupters, carcinogens, or substances that bioaccumulate, are collectively referred to as “chemicals of concern.” They can transfer from plastic packaging into food, together with other unknown or toxicologically uncharacterized chemicals. This chemical transfer is scientifically undisputed and makes plastic packaging a known, and avoidable, source of human exposure to synthetic, hazardous, and untested chemicals. Here, I discuss this issue and highlight aspects in need of improvement, namely the way that chemicals present in food packaging are assessed for toxicity. Further, I provide an outlook on how chemical contamination from food packaging could be addressed in the future. Robust innovations must attempt systemic change and tackle the issue of plastic pollution and chemical migration in a way that integrates all existing knowledge. The widespread use of plastic packaging for storing, transporting, and conveniently preparing or serving foodstuffs is significantly contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis. This Essay exhorts us to change the conversation about plastic packaging and address the chemicals that migrate into food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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vom Saal FS, Vandenberg LN. Update on the Health Effects of Bisphenol A: Overwhelming Evidence of Harm. Endocrinology 2021; 162:6124507. [PMID: 33516155 PMCID: PMC7846099 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In 1997, the first in vivo bisphenol A (BPA) study by endocrinologists reported that feeding BPA to pregnant mice induced adverse reproductive effects in male offspring at the low dose of 2 µg/kg/day. Since then, thousands of studies have reported adverse effects in animals administered low doses of BPA. Despite more than 100 epidemiological studies suggesting associations between BPA and disease/dysfunction also reported in animal studies, regulatory agencies continue to assert that BPA exposures are safe. To address this disagreement, the CLARITY-BPA study was designed to evaluate traditional endpoints of toxicity and modern hypothesis-driven, disease-relevant outcomes in the same set of animals. A wide range of adverse effects was reported in both the toxicity and the mechanistic endpoints at the lowest dose tested (2.5 µg/kg/day), leading independent experts to call for the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) to be dropped 20 000-fold from the current outdated LOAEL of 50 000 µg/kg/day. Despite criticism by members of the Endocrine Society that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s assumptions violate basic principles of endocrinology, the FDA rejected all low-dose data as not biologically plausible. Their decisions rely on 4 incorrect assumptions: dose responses must be monotonic, there exists a threshold below which there are no effects, both sexes must respond similarly, and only toxicological guideline studies are valid. This review details more than 20 years of BPA studies and addresses the divide that exists between regulatory approaches and endocrine science. Ultimately, CLARITY-BPA has shed light on why traditional methods of evaluating toxicity are insufficient to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick S vom Saal
- University of Missouri – Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, Columbia, Missouri
- Correspondence: Dr. Frederick vom Saal, University of Missouri-Columbia, Division of Biological Sciences, 105 Lefevre Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. E-mail:
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Amherst, Massachusetts
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Vandenberg LN, Bugos J. Assessing the Public Health Implications of the Food Preservative Propylparaben: Has This Chemical Been Safely Used for Decades. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021; 8:54-70. [PMID: 33415721 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00300-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Parabens are chemicals containing alkyl-esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which give them antimicrobial, antifungal, and preservative properties. Propylparaben (PP) is one paraben that has been widely used in personal care products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food. In this review, we address the ongoing controversy over the safety of parabens, and PP specifically. These chemicals have received significant public attention after studies published almost 20 years ago suggested plausible associations between PP exposures and breast cancer. RECENT FINDINGS Here, we use key characteristics, a systematic approach to evaluate the endocrine disrupting properties of PP based on features of "known" endocrine disruptors, and consider whether its classification as a "weak" estrogen should alleviate public health concerns over human exposures. We also review the available evidence from rodent and human studies to illustrate how the large data gaps that exist in hazard assessments raise concerns about current evaluations by regulatory agencies that PP use is safe. Finally, we address the circular logic that is used to suggest that because PP has been used for several decades, it must be safe. We conclude that inadequate evidence has been provided for the safe use of PP in food, cosmetics, and consumer products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, 171C Goessmann, 686 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Jennifer Bugos
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, 171C Goessmann, 686 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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