Environmental Health最新文献

{"title":"Mapping the global health burden of climate-sensitive exposures: a systematic scoping review.","authors":"Julia Feriato Corvetto, Robin Simion, Perla Boutros, Nour Kassem, Kristine Belesova, Till Bärnighausen, Rainer Sauerborn, Sandra Barteit","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01294-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01294-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Climate change is an increasing determinant of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the health burden attributable to climate-sensitive exposures remains poorly quantified and inconsistently reported across the existing literature. This lack of systematic evidence limits the ability of policymakers and health systems to allocate resources efficiently, design targeted interventions, and implement effective adaptation strategies. METHODS: We conducted a systematic scoping review following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to map and synthesize available global evidence on the health impacts of climate-sensitive hazards, including heat, temperature variability, extreme weather events, and air pollution. Peer-reviewed studies published up to November 2024 were identified through searches in Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Eligible studies were charted by exposure type, health outcome, study design, and geographic region. The review protocol was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023421873). RESULTS: Of the 15,538 records screened, 199 studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was most consistent for heat exposure, which showed strong associations with all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality. Across 15 disease categories—including mental health, infectious, endocrine, and neurological disorders—exposures sensitive to climate change were associated with increased morbidity and mortality risks. However, the available evidence base was heavily skewed toward high- and upper-middle-income countries, with over half of the studies conducted in China. Evidence gaps were identified for undernutrition, injuries, disabilities, and non-fatal outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Heterogeneity in exposure definitions, outcome, and regional data availability limited comparability across studies. A selective meta-analysis of comparable studies yielded pooled attributable fractions of 1.18% (95% CI: 1.01–1.37) for all-cause, 2.15% (1.54–2.88) for cardiovascular, 3.08% (2.17–4.15) for respiratory, and 2.71% (1.85–3.73) for stroke-related mortality due to heat. Additional climate-sensitive exposures and outcomes were not comparable and therefore could not be pooled. CONCLUSIONS: Climate-sensitive exposures are associated with a substantial health burden as reflected in the available global literature, with the strongest evidence originating from high-resource settings. Findings from this scoping review highlight the urgent need to enhance climate health surveillance systems in underrepresented regions, harmonize exposure and outcome metrics, and strengthen the integration of health evidence into national adaptation strategies and climate finance mechanisms. Addressing these evidence and infrastructure gaps is critical for informing equitable, data-driven adaptation planning, public health preparedness, and downstream loss-and-damage policy discussions. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13063667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147608327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate change and tuberculosis: enhancing impact through an implementation science informed agenda.","authors":"Canice Christian, Rutendo Mukondwa, Karen A Webb, Priya B Shete","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01273-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01273-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change increasingly threatens progress in tuberculosis (TB) control by exacerbating food insecurity, disrupting health systems, and driving population displacement, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Although a growing body of literature links climate stressors to adverse TB outcomes, most existing research remains descriptive and provides limited guidance on how TB programs can adapt service delivery under worsening environmental conditions. This review examines how implementation science can address this evidence-to-practice gap and advance a climate-adaptive TB agenda. Drawing on the recently published World Health Organization's Climate Change and Tuberculosis Analytical Framework, we synthesize evidence on key climate-related pathways affecting TB vulnerability and highlight persistent gaps in data on the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of adaptive interventions. We describe how implementation science frameworks and methods, including stakeholder-engaged approaches, mixed methods research, and evaluation of implementation outcomes, can guide the design, evaluation, and scale-up of climate-adaptive strategies. We conclude that embedding implementation science within climate-TB research is essential to move beyond documenting climate impacts toward actionable, equitable, and sustainable public health solutions, and to support resilient TB programs in the context of accelerating climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13020077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147519954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between charcoal cooking fuel and cardiovascular disease prevalence in Haiti: a cross-sectional analysis.","authors":"Lily D Yan, Rodney Sufra, Reichling St Sauveur, Kelly Celestin, Vanessa Rouzier, Alexandra Apollon, Guyrlaine Forestal, Suzanne Edwidge Marcelin, Sarine Auguste, Josue Pierre, Erline Hilaire, James-Lee Fénélus, Anju Ogyu, Catherine Bennett, Rehana Rasul, Lindsay J Underhill, Mark D Huffman, Victor G Davila-Roman, Jennifer L Peel, Gene F Kwan, Marie Marcelle Deschamps, Jean W Pape, Margaret L McNairy","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01292-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01292-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: There is little evidence on the association between cooking with polluting fuels, particularly charcoal, and heart disease from low- and middle-income countries, which have the highest burdens of polluting fuels and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We sought to assess the relationship between self-reported primary home cooking with charcoal and prevalent cardiovascular disease in the low-income country Haiti. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were collected from 3,005 adults in the Haiti Cardiovascular Disease Cohort, recruited from Port-au-Prince using multistage random sampling from 2019 to 2021. Primary cooking fuel was self-reported in the household: charcoal orliquified petroleum gas (LPG). Prevalent CVD (heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction) was physician-adjudicated using epidemiological criteria similar to international cohorts. Multivariable generalized estimating equations with a Poisson distribution estimated prevalence ratios of prevalent CVD by polluting charcoal vs. LPG. RESULTS: Among 2,865 adults in the analytic sample, median age was 41 years (IQR 28–55), 57.9% female, and 88.4% reported using charcoal cooking fuel. Age-adjusted prevalence of any CVD was 13.7% (95% CI 12.2%, 15.4%) with the most common subtype being heart failure. Cooking with charcoal versus LPG was associated with higher prevalence of heart failure (1.63 prevalence ratio; 95% confidence interval 1.09, 2.44) after multivariable adjustment, lower prevalence of stroke, and not significantly associated with myocardial infarction or any CVD. CONCLUSION: Most urban Haitian adults cook with charcoal, an uncommon primary cooking fuel in other countries, and charcoal is associated with higher prevalence of heart failure compared to LPG. Polluting charcoal cooking fuel is a potentially modifiable risk factor for heart failure in low-income settings that needs remediation and intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: clinicaltrials.gov. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13134147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147503348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Projecting tick-borne encephalitis risk in Sweden under climate change scenarios: a high-resolution spatio-temporal modeling approach.","authors":"Maquins Odhiambo Sewe, Jonas Wallin, Joacim Rocklöv, Shiyu Wang, Torben Koenigk, Jan C Semenza","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01278-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01278-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a serious vector-borne neurological disease in Europe, with a complex transmission cycle involving ticks of genus Ixodes, animal hosts, environmental and climatic determinants. METHODS: We modelled annual Geocoded Swedish TBE case data for the period 2005–2023 as a log-Gaussian Cox process in relation to population, environmental and climate data, and wildlife citizen science reports at high spatial resolution. We used the computationally efficient Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) and projected the future TBE incidence using fifteen regional climate models. RESULTS: The covariates significantly associated with TBE incidence in Sweden, ranked based on predictive capacity, were mean temperature, population density, habitat richness, forest cover, precipitation, relative humidity and roe deer density. Specifically, mean temperature above 12° C degrees in the third quarter of the previous year, habitat richness, precipitation in the third quarter, and higher roe deer density were associated with increased TBE risk. The model performed well on testing data, excluded from model building, demonstrating high predictive accuracy in TBE-endemic areas compared to observed data. Our projections indicate TBE cases will increase by 69% under low emissions (RCP2.6) and 121% under high emissions (RCP8.5) by the 2090s, relative to 2014–2023. CONCLUSION: The TBE incidence is projected to rise substantially, even under lower emission scenarios. Our findings highlight the growing influence of climate change on TBE transmission in Sweden and provide actionable evidence to inform surveillance, vaccination strategies, and long-term public health planning. Citizen science initiatives and risk maps can help focus resources on areas most vulnerable to transmission. More broadly, the integration of climate models with high-resolution epidemiological data, offers a template for anticipating climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases. Proactive, evidence-based interventions are essential to mitigate the growing health burden posed by TBE in Sweden and beyond. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13020375/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147503420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping heat-related morbidity burden attributable to human-induced climate change across 460 communities of Victoria, Australia.","authors":"Yunfei Xing, Rongbin Xu, Zhihu Xu, Zhaoyuan Li, Zhengyu Yang, Yiwen Zhang, Wenzhong Huang, Pei Yu, Shanshan Li, Yuming Guo","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01289-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01289-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: With the continued rise in global temperature, the health risks associated with heat have become increasingly prominent. This study aims to assess and map the risk and cost of hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits attributable to heat exposure across local communities in Victoria, Australia, and quantify the impact of human-induced climate change. METHODS: We collected daily hospital admissions and ED visits during the hot seasons from 2014 to 2019 in Victoria, Australia. Using a standard time-series Poisson model and a random-effects meta-analysis, we estimated the heat-attributable burden of hospital admissions as well as ED visits at both the community and statewide levels, and further quantified the excess heat-related burden attributable to human-induced climate change. RESULTS: This study included 6,301,710 all-cause hospital admissions and 3,812,690 all-cause ED visits across 460 communities. From 2014 to 2019, heat exposure was responsible for 4574 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4486, 4628) hospital admissions and 10,920 (95%CI: 10,789, 11,016) ED visits per year in Victoria, resulting in healthcare costs of AU$ 23.30 (95%CI: 22.86, 23.58) million and AU$ 7.03 (95%CI: 6.94, 7.09) million, respectively. Notably, the heat-related burden was particularly pronounced in women, rural areas, and northern communities. Human-induced climate change increased heat-related hospitalizations by 27.25% and ED visits by 16.46%. Urban areas were more sensitive to human-induced climate change than rural areas, with human-induced climate change contributing to 31.28% of heat-related hospitalizations and 21.14% of heat-related ED visits. CONCLUSION: Heat exposure was associated with increased risks of hospital admissions and ED visits in Victoria, particularly in women, rural areas, and northern communities, contributing to approximately AU$30 million in healthcare costs annually. Human-induced climate change had further intensified these heat-related burdens, with urban areas exhibiting greater sensitivity to human-induced climate change than rural areas. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13126718/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147491011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review of human studies assessing the health effects of unburned kerosene-based jet fuels and products across diverse populations and settings.","authors":"Veronica Carvajal, Brandon Ng, Nicole Rosendaal, Catherine M Pirkle","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01287-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01287-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>OBJECTIVE: Petroleum hydrocarbons are significant environmental health concerns globally, due to their extensive use and environmental release, including water contamination events such as the 2021 Red Hill jet fuel spill. Research on kerosene and kerosene-based jet fuels is limited, with prior reviews often focused on occupational and post-combustion exposures. No previous systematic review has focused specifically on pre-combustion exposures. Thus, we systematically reviewed evidence of human health impacts associated with these raw fuels across all exposure settings and population groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Search strategies and eligibility criteria were developed and executed following PRISMA reporting guidelines and informed by OHAT procedures for systematic reviews. PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched (2017–2024) for eligible literature. Data extraction, analyses, quality assessment and risk of bias appraisals were conducted. Four reviewers participated in these processes. RESULTS: A total of 28 articles were included. Respiratory outcomes were frequently observed following acute kerosene ingestion, whereas neurological outcomes were common with chronic occupational, dermal and inhalation exposure to jet fuel. Evidence of gastrointestinal and dermal outcomes were also documented. Current literature did not allow outcomes with long latency to be assessed. Limited analytical studies and data heterogeneity challenge the ability to establish robust conclusions. CONCLUSION: Considering the global health implications of kerosene and kerosene-based jet fuel, and recent water contamination events, this review is novel and timely in its focus on unburned fuel. Current evidence on the human health consequences of these fuels is limited. We thus provide recommendations for future studies, including exposure assessment methods, study designs, and prioritization of underrepresented populations. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13085620/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147467238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental stress, water inequality, and environmental justice in Palestinian urban areas: a GIS-based assessment of sanitation and infrastructure disparities in the southern West Bank.","authors":"Nidal Nassar, Hamzeh Al Zabadi, Zohra Chabaane","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01286-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01286-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines environmental justice disparities in the southern West Bank by assessing groundwater quality, wastewater management, and water supply infrastructure in Dura City, Fawwar Refugee Camp, and the Israeli settlement of Nahal Negohot. A mixed-methods approach combined field-based water sampling (71 points) with socio-demographic data (2014–2024) and GIS-based spatial analyses to generate composite indices, including the Environmental Stress Index (ESI) and Pollution Risk Index (PRI).Results indicate pronounced spatial inequities. Nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations in Dura City ranged from near zero to extreme peaks of 1,667.5 mg/L, exceeding WHO standards by up to 34 times, while Fawwar Camp exhibited moderate exceedances (51.5–147.1 mg/L). Nahal Negohot maintained low nitrate levels (<50 mg/L) due to centralized treatment and secure water supply. Total dissolved solids (TDS) reached 2,100 mg/L in Dura, 724 mg/L in Fawwar, and remained below 250 mg/L in Nahal Negohot. Electrical conductivity (EC) followed similar patterns, with values exceeding 2,600 µS/cm in Dura, 1,500 µS/cm in Fawwar, and <500 µS/cm in Nahal Negohot. The PRI highlighted high pollution risk in Dura (4.05), moderate risk in Fawwar (2.0–3.5), and low risk in Nahal Negohot (1.35–2.0).Water allocation in 2024 revealed stark inequities: Dura and Fawwar received only 13.5% and 7.2% of total supply, respectively, corresponding to 64.6 and 53 L/person/day, while Nahal Negohot received 79.3%, equivalent to 650 L/person/day. The ESI indicated high environmental stress in Dura, moderate stress in Fawwar, and low stress in Nahal Negohot, reflecting cumulative pressures from poor infrastructure, unregulated wastewater, illegal water extraction, network losses, and administrative deficiencies in Palestinian areas.These findings indicate that groundwater contamination and unequal water distribution are intertwined with structural and administrative constraints, resulting in environmental injustice. The study emphasizes the urgent need to enhance the capacity for integrated water and wastewater management, strengthen monitoring, and implement governance reforms to promote equitable and sustainable access to resources in the study area.</p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13104379/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147467243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational characteristics are missing from heat vulnerability indices: a study in New York and New Jersey.","authors":"Zoey Laskaris, Sherry Baron, Steven B Markowitz","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01284-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01284-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Heat vulnerability indices and maps are widely used by government agencies to guide heat-prevention strategies and prioritize resources for at-risk communities. However, these tools typically exclude the occupational characteristics of the population, a salient source of heat exposure. METHODS: To examine how occupation might enrich these tools, we developed a method to generate Census tract-level estimates of occupational heat exposure risk for employed residents using publicly available data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and the U.S. Census American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (2018–2022) and applied it to New York State (NYS) and New Jersey (NJ). We calculated the proportion of residents in occupations with elevated indoor or outdoor heat exposure. We then examined correlations and spatial alignment between occupational heat risk and social, health, and environmental vulnerability indicators. RESULTS: Approximately 1.3 million residents in NYS (13.6% of total employment) and 698,000 in NJ (15.1%) were employed in occupations with elevated indoor or outdoor heat exposure risk. Occupational heat exposure correlated most strongly with health vulnerability, followed by social vulnerability, while environmental vulnerability showed weak or negative correlations. Geographic overlap of tracts in the highest quintiles of occupational risk and other vulnerability domains was modest overall: occupational and health vulnerabilities aligned in less urban areas, whereas occupational, social, and environmental vulnerabilities clustered in and around urban centers. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating occupation into climate and social vulnerability indices is important, because it is an essential human activity, a social determinant of health, and a salient source of heat exposure that is not fully captured by existing social, health, and environmental data. These findings provide a replicable method for mapping occupational heat exposure, highlighting populations at elevated risk, informing future research, and supporting targeted interventions in community and workplace settings, especially where enforceable workplace protections against extreme heat are limited. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13101271/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147456543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure limits to radiofrequency EMF do not account for cancer risk or reproductive toxicity assessed from data in experimental animals.","authors":"Ronald L Melnick, Joel M Moskowitz","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01288-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01288-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Recent WHO-commissioned systematic reviews have concluded with “high certainty” that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) increases cancer risk and reduces male fertility in experimental animals. METHODS: We performed benchmark dose (BMD) analyses on experimental cancer data to estimate exposure levels associated with cancer risk of 1 × 10–5 (1 in 100,000). Due to the lack of an established non-linear mode of action for RF-EMF-induced tumor responses, we utilized linear low-dose extrapolation from 1% BMD values. In addition, we applied traditional uncertainty factors to the reported linear potency value of 0.03 per W/kg for male reproductive toxicity to derive health-protective exposure limits. RESULTS: The derived dose per hour (expressed as the specific absorption rate, SAR) at 1 × 10–5 cancer risk ranges from about 0.8 to 5 mW/kg. It should be noted that cancer risk increases with increasing time of exposure to RF-EMF. For protection of male fertility due to exposure to RF-EMF, the estimated SAR exposure limit was 3.3 to 10 mW/kg. These health protective whole-body exposure values are significantly lower than the current whole-body exposure limit value of 0.08 W/kg (80 mW/kg) established by ICNIRP and the FCC for the general public. CONCLUSIONS: For the general public, current regulatory limits to RF-EMF are 15- to 900-fold higher than our estimates of exposure levels associated with cancer risk of 1 × 10–5 (depending on the duration of daily exposure), and 8- to 24-fold higher than levels that are protective of male reproductive health. Thus, we strongly recommend an independent re-evaluation of RF-EMF exposure limits, integrating scientific data accumulated over the past 30 years and applying rigorous health-protective methodologies. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13130403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147456432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PFAS endocrine disruption affecting pubertal development: exposure-response is steeper below median PFAS serum concentrations.","authors":"Nicolas van Larebeke, Stefan Voorspoels, Elly Den Hond, Martine Leermakers, Greet Schoeters","doi":"10.1186/s12940-026-01285-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12940-026-01285-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: We have recently published (van Larebeke, Environ Health 24:34, 2025) consistent and biologically relevant associations of PFAS serum concentrations with sex hormone levels in male adolescents and with a significant delay in physiological processes occurring during puberty in girls and boys. Associations with thyroid hormones differed significantly by sex with only for boys significant positive associations of FT3 with PFOA, PFHxS and PFNA. Here we report a follow-up analysis to test a work hypothesis stating that, as can be expected for receptor mediated effects, the observed associations would be stronger at lower PFAS serum concentrations (e.g. below the median) than at higher PFAS serum concentrations. MAIN BODY: To allow for a comparison between associations of biological/health effects with PFAS concentrations below or above median values, PFAS concentrations without log transformation were used in linear multiple regression with continuous effect parameters, logistic models with binary effect parameters, and Ordinal Multinomial Probit models with ordinal effect parameters. Regression coefficients and other statistical parameters were calculated with the Statistica 14.0 program. Significance of the difference between a regression coefficient observed for an association with a certain PFAS below the median serum concentration compared to above the median was assessed using a two‑tailed Wald test. The median PFAS serum values observed in our study were below present health based guidance values. Consistent with our working hypothesis, the lower exposed subpopulations (with serum concentrations below the median) had a greater change in outcome per unit increase in PFAS exposure (a stronger regression coefficient) than the higher exposed subpopulations concerning 72 of the 84 significant associations described previously and this was most pronounced for PFHxS, and to a lesser extent for PFOS(branched), PFOA and sum parameters. Continuous piecewise linear models, models with a quadratic term and, in the range of PFAS concentrations where sufficient data were present, also weighted least square graphs, yielded results supporting stronger regression coefficients below median PFAS serum concentrations. CONCLUSION: Our observations suggest that an important part of the endocrine disrupting effect of PFAS on adolescents occurs at serum levels below present health based guidance values. </p>","PeriodicalId":11686,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13093952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147431728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}