Research Results

Beta Version

Use the search bar below to find studies, or apply one or more filters to narrow your results. See our list of keywords to guide your search.

Search by keyword

Try these: air pollutionalcoholbisphenolshormonespersonal care productspesticidesplastic

Filter by Risk Factors
Filter by Protective Factors
Filter by Exposure Sources
Filter by Chemical Classes

Sort By

  • Relevance
  • Title (A to Z)
  • Title (Z to A)
  • Publication Year (Ascending)
  • Publication Year (Descending)
  • Authors (A to Z)
  • Authors (Z to A)

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and cancer: new perspectives on an old relationship.

Modica et al,

2023

J Endocrinol Invest

A comprehensive literature review examining environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and hormone-related cancers concludes that several EDCs can be definitively classified as carcinogenic, including dioxin and cadmium for breast and thyroid cancer, arsenic and dioxin for prostate cancer, and organochlorines for testicular cancer. The review highlights that fetuses and newborns are most vulnerable to endocrine disruption, with adverse effects potentially manifesting at different ages throughout life, making it difficult to assess the full health impact of EDC exposure. The authors emphasize that EDCs represent a major environmental health issue requiring effective prevention policies, increased public awareness, and protective measures—particularly for pregnant women—along with standardized testing criteria to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of new chemicals before they enter widespread use.

Long-term exposure to airborne metals and risk of cancer in the French cohort Gazel.

Lequy et al,

2023

Environ Int

This cohort study examined associations of metals to multiple cancer sites. Participants were from a cohort study of worker from the French national energy company who lived in semi-urban or rural locations. The researchers estimated metal exposures from moss biomonitoring (part of a larger effort to measure air pollution). Estimated exposures to metals were associated any cancer (bladder, lung, breast or prostate), but no estimated exposures were associated with breast cancer alone. Some estimates appraoched HR >1 for breast cancer.

Metallic Air Pollutants and Breast Cancer Risk in a Nationwide Cohort Study.

White et al,

2019

Epidemiol

A large US study of nearly 51,000 women found that exposure to airborne toxic metals, particularly mercury, cadmium, and lead, was associated with increased postmenopausal breast cancer risk, with mercury showing the strongest effect at 30% increased risk for the highest exposure levels. When examining the combined effect of 10 different airborne metals together, the mixture was associated with elevated postmenopausal breast cancer risk, with mercury, lead, and cadmium contributing most to this increased risk. These findings suggest that environmental exposure to toxic metals through air pollution may be an important and underrecognized risk factor specifically for breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Heavy-metal associated breast cancer and colorectal cancer hot spots and their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Tomlinson et al,

2024

Cancer Causes Control

A population-based study using Kentucky cancer registry data (77,637 breast cancer and 56,598 colorectal cancer cases) found that higher ambient air concentrations of carcinogenic metals—cadmium, arsenic, nickel, and chromium(VI)—were associated with increased odds of residing in breast and colorectal cancer hotspots, independent of individual risk factors including age, race, smoking, and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Cancer hotspot populations were disproportionately Black and exhibited markers of lower socioeconomic status, and importantly, the metal-cancer associations persisted even after adjusting for these factors, suggesting environmental metal exposure is an independent contributor to geographic cancer clustering. These findings provide evidence that historically marginalized communities face disproportionate exposure to carcinogenic metals through environmental pollution, likely contributing to cancer disparities, and underscore the urgent need for environmental justice interventions including stricter air quality regulations, cleanup of contaminated sites, and individual-level exposure assessments to fully understand how metal exposures drive cancer inequities in vulnerable populations.

Analysis of the effect of heavy metals on the incidence of cancer and health risk assessment on drinking water sources in 2021-2022 using geostatistics (Study area: Kohgilouye and BoyerAhmad province, Iran)

Barafrashtehpour et al,

2023

Res Square

A study of 104 drinking water sources across Iranian cities found dangerous levels of arsenic and chromium exceeding safety standards in some locations, with the highest arsenic concentrations in Bashet (15.47 µg/L) and chromium in Behmai (292.21 µg/L), both significantly above acceptable limits. Health risk assessments showed that arsenic exposure in Bashet and chromium exposure in Behmai posed definite cancer risks (risk factors exceeding 1), with cancer risks from contaminated drinking water confirmed in multiple cities including Bashet, Gachsaran, and Behmai. These findings highlight a serious public health concern, as chronic exposure to these carcinogenic heavy metals through drinking water can increase risks for various cancers including breast cancer, underscoring the urgent need for water treatment interventions and alternative water sources in affected communities.

Disruptive environmental chemicals and cellular mechanisms that confer resistance to cell death.

Narayanan et al,

2015

Carcinogenesis

This study explores the linkage between environmental chemical exposures and cellular resistance to cell death, a carcinogenic trait. The researchers in this study specifically investigate BPA, chlorothalonil, dibutyl phthalate, and more because of their disruptive effects that may be involved in these carcinogenic pathways. The researchers found that arsenic interferes with cellular signaling pathways and induces oxidative stress, leading to impaired apoptosis; dioxins bind to aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHRs), which alters gene expression and disrupts normal cell death processes; BPA mimics the estrogen hormone, affecting hormonal balance and promoting cell survival pathways that inhibit cell death. By allowing cells to evade cell death, these environmental chemicals can promote the survival of cells with genetic mutations and therefore increase the risk of cancer development.

Heavy Metals and Trajectories of Anti-Müllerian Hormone During the Menopausal Transition

Ding, et al.

2024

J Clin Endocrinol Metab

A longitudinal study of 549 women with 2,252 repeated anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) measurements over the 10 years preceding final menstrual period found that elevated arsenic levels were associated with a 32.1% decline in AMH concentrations and elevated mercury levels with a 40.7% decline over the decade, while elevated cadmium and mercury showed significant per-year declines of 9.0% and 7.3% respectively. The findings indicate that higher exposure to heavy metals—particularly arsenic, cadmium, and mercury—is correlated with accelerated depletion of ovarian reserve (remaining viable eggs) in women approaching menopause. This study suggests that environmental heavy metal exposure may contribute to earlier reproductive aging and diminished ovarian function.

Human health risk assessment of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury ingestion from baby foods

Parker, et al.

2022

Toxicol Rep

This study focused on arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) being in baby foods due to their known health risks, such as developmental, reproductive, and carcinogenic effects. Arsenic exposure comes mainly from rice-based products and could cause significant health risks. Lead was found in some grains and root vegetables, indicating potential exposure to health effects. The study concluded that exposure to these metals from baby foods had been found to be at safe levels. However, an exception was made for rice products because of arsenic natural abundance in soil. Even though levels of these metals in baby foods have been found to be under safe levels, monitoring of infant food should be continued for these metals and others.

No results found.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Share This