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Old Order Mennonites adhere to a simpler lifestyle. They eat mostly fresh unprocessed foods, farm without pesticides, and use personal care products sparingly, if at all, and no cosmetics. For transportation they predominantly use bicycles and a horse and buggy. These practices made us think that they would experience lower exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol A and several phthalates. Therefore, we studied a small group of pregnant women from this community and measured amounts of several of these chemicals. Over all levels were lower than those measured in the general public, and some were much lower. We conclude that this study, though small, reveals important messages about how to avoid or reduce our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Continue reading »]]> In male rodents, anogenital distance (AGD) –the distance form the anus to the genitals–reflects the pups exposure to testosterone and other androgens during prenatal development and also predicts later reproductive
success. These results, from a study of young healthy men living in Rochester NY, suggest that this is also true in young healthy men and that the androgenic environment during early fetal life exerts a fundamental
influence on both AGD and adult sperm counts in humans, as demonstrated in rodents

Continue reading »]]> Citation: Tilson HA 2009. EHP Paper of the Year, 2009. Environ Health Perspect 117:A232-A232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.12903

The Paper of the Year Award was established in 2008 by Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) as a means of reinforcing high-quality articles published in the journal, identifying emerging research themes, and tracking the impact of groundbreaking research (Tilson 2008). In this issue, we are pleased to announce that the EHP Paper of the Year for 2009 is “Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure” by Shanna H. Swan, Katharina M. Main, Fan Liu, Sara L. Stewart, Robin L. Kruse, Antonia M. Calafat, Catherine S. Mao, J. Bruce Redmon, Christine L. Ternand, Shannon Sullivan, J. Lynn Teague, and the Study for Future Families Research Team (Swan et al. 2005). We chose this paper because of its high impact in both the research and legislative realms since its publication in 2005.

This paper (Swan et al. 2005) was the first to demonstrate an association between pregnant women’s exposure to phthalates and adverse effects on genital development in their male children. Rodent studies had previously identified a syndrome of adverse effects of phthalates on the male reproductive system (Foster 2006; Sharpe 2005), and find-ings from Swan et al. (2005) supported the hypothesis that prenatal phthalate exposure at environmental levels can also adversely affect male reproductive development in humans. These findings are important because humans are commonly exposed to phthalates found in a wide variety of consumer products, including soft vinyl items, medical tubing and IV bags, and a variety of personal care products such as perfume, lotion, shampoo, cosmetics, nail polish, and hairspray.

Toxicologists routinely measure the external genitalia to assess reproductive toxicity in animal studies. One of these measures, anogenital distance (AGD)—a particularly sensitive indicator of masculinization—is shortened in male rodents following prenatal exposure to several phthalates (Foster 2006; Sharpe 2005).Swan et al. (2005) translated the standard animal exam to humans in order to investigate potential effects of phthalates on reproductive development in male infants. Specifically, they estimated associations between the presence and quantity of nine phthalate metabolites in mothers’ prenatal urine samples and AGD and other measurements in their sons. Higher levels of four phthalate metabolites [monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), and monoisobutyl phthalate (MiBP)] were associated with a shorter AGD. Swan subsequently replicated and extended these findings (2008).

Swan et al. (2005) has had an impact on phthalate legislation such as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which dramatically reduced the amount of six phthalates (including DEHP and DBP) that are permissible in children’s toys. The findings of Swan et al. (2005) have also been discussed and documented in numerous congressional hearings, including the June 2008 House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing (Committee on Energy and Commerce 2008). This research was also cited heavily in support of regulations passed in California, Vermont, and Washington and introduced in Maine, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Minnesota, Illinois, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Continue reading »]]> We can’t assume that chemicals are safe until proven harmful; we must instead assume they’re harmful until proven safe. Dr. Shanna Swan discusses the rise of damaging health conditions and their link to toxic chemicals in our environment. An informative and eye-opening talk that recommends taking precautionary action for the sake of our health, our children’s health, and for the planet.

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Fetal exposure to antiandrogens alters androgen-sensitive development in male rodents, resulting in less male-typical behavior. Fetal phthalate exposure is also associated with male reproductive development in humans, but neurodevelopmental outcomes have seldom been examined in relation to phthalate exposure.  To assess play behavior in relation to phthalate metabolite concentration in prenatal urine samples, we recontacted participants in the Study for Future Families whose phthalate metabolites had been measured in mid-pregnancy urine samples.  Mothers completed a questionnaire including the Preschool Activities Inventory (PSAI), a validated instrument used to assess sexually dimorphic play behavior. We examined play behavior scores (masculine, feminine and composite) in relation to (log₁₀) phthalate metabolite concentrations in mother’s urine separately for boys (N=74) and girls (N=71). Covariates (child’s age, mother’s age and education and parental attitude towards atypical play choices) were controlled using multivariate regression models. Concentrations of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) metabolites, mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) and mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and their sum, were associated with a decreased (less masculine) composite score in boys (regression coefficients -4.53, -3.61, and -4.20, p=0.01, 0.07 and 0.04 for MnBP, MiBP and their sum, respectively).  Concentrations of two urinary metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP) and mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and the sum of these DEHP metabolites plus mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate were associated with a decreased masculine score (regression coefficients -3.29, -2.94, and -3.18, p=0.02, 0.04 and 0.04) for MEHHP,  MEOHP, and the sum, respectively. No strong associations were seen between behavior and urinary concentrations of any other phthalate metabolites in boys, or between girls’ scores and any metabolites. These data, though based on a small sample, suggest that prenatal exposure to antiandrogenic phthalates may be associated with less male-typical play behavior in boys.  Our findings suggest that these ubiquitous environmental chemicals have the potential to alter androgen-responsive brain development in humans.

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Nov. 16, 2009 — Mothers exposed to high levels of chemicals known as phthalates during pregnancy may have boys who are less likely to play with trucks and other male-typical toys or to play fight, according to a new study.

Phthalates, common in the environment, are found in toys, food packaging, personal care products, nail polish, adhesives, and other products.

In the study, the researchers focused on two phthalates of concern to environmental experts, DEHP and DBP. They tested the urine of women during the 28th week of pregnancy and divided them into four groups depending on the concentration of phthalate metabolites or breakdown products. Then they assessed the play behavior of the 145 children when they reached age 3 to 6.

If mothers were in the highest concentration group, the chance that their boys had a less masculine score was five times greater than mothers in the lowest concentration group, according to study researcher Shanna Swan, PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Center for Reproductive Epidemiology and an expert on phthalates.

”I’m not saying these boys are feminized,” Swan tells WebMD. Rather, she says, ”they are less likely to play in a male-typical manner.” No effect was found with the girls.

Swan and other experts suspect that exposure to the chemicals affects the level of testosterone crucial for the development not only of male reproductive organs, but also the masculine brain. ”We now suspect that the phthalate [exposure] affects the entire body, not just the reproductive tract,” Swan says.

The study is published in the International Journal of Andrology.

http://children.webmd.com/news/20091116/phthalates-affect-way-young-boys-play