Biomonitoring News and Research

RSS

There has been a surge in the presence of pollutants and contaminants in the environment. Thus, efforts are being made to develop techniques that can measure the presence of these molecules within the environment and the human body.

New EU project aims to learn more about hormone-disrupting chemicals

Hormone-disrupting chemicals in our environment can affect early neurodevelopment in children, but little is known about the exact mechanisms for this interference. A new EU funded research project, coordinated from Karolinska Institutet, now aims to learn more and to develop better screening and testing tools.

26 Sep 2018

Strategies to ensure safety of chemical mixtures

Every day we are exposed to low levels of hundreds of different manmade chemicals present for example in our food, consumer products and the air we breathe.

29 Jun 2018

Hair products used by Black women contain dozens of hazardous chemicals

A new report published today in the journal Environmental Research shows that Black women are potentially exposed to dozens of hazardous chemicals through the hair products they use.

26 Apr 2018

Using Smartphones for Cancer Diagnosis and Management

Dr. Castro is a translational oncologist with experience developing and harnessing nanotechnology and molecular imaging platforms for cancer purposes. His work offers a “less is more” approach — to generate robust cancer analyses using scant amount of specimens. Dr. Castro’s research has included funding from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, and the Department of Defense.

From Pittcon 14 Feb 2018

Scientists reveal first exposure map of perfluoroalkyl substances among Spanish population

Frying pans, pizza boxes, clothes and textiles are just some of the products which contain perfluoroalkyl compounds, used for their chemical stability and resistance.

29 Nov 2017

Wake Forest Baptist scientists test prototype CEW with cardiac biomonitoring capability

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have successfully tested a prototype conducted electrical weapon (CEW) capable of recording a subject's heart rate and rhythm while still delivering incapacitating electrical charges.

10 Aug 2016

Study reveals problems encountered when trying to avoid plastic exposure

The well-known documentary "Plastic Planet" by Werner Boote starkly illustrates the dangers of plastic and synthetics for human beings and also shows how ubiquitous plastic is.

13 Jul 2016

New method may help identify small amounts of nanomaterials in environment samples

It is still unclear what the impact is on humans, animals and plants of synthetic nanomaterials released into the environment or used in products. It's very difficult to detect these nanomaterials in the environment since the concentrations are so low and the particles so small. Now the partners in the NanoUmwelt project have developed a method that is capable of identifying even minute amounts of nanomaterials in environmental samples.

2 May 2016

Study examines benefits of IS technique in assessing effect of pollution on urban asthmatic children

For the firefighters and rescue workers conducting the rescue and cleanup operations at Ground Zero from September 2001 to May 2002, exposure to hazardous airborne particles led to a disturbing "WTC cough" -- obstructed airways and inflammatory bronchial hyperactivity -- and acute inflammation of the lungs. At the time, bronchoscopy, the insertion of a fiber optic bronchoscope into the lung, was the only way to obtain lung samples. But this method is highly invasive and impractical for screening large populations.

11 Dec 2014

Prenatal exposure to phthalate DiNP associated with shorter AGD in Swedish boys: Study

The first study to examine prenatal exposure to the phthalate DiNP finds it is associated with a shorter anogenital distance (AGD) in Swedish boys at the age of 21 months. These findings raise concern since animal research has linked DiNP exposure to a shorter AGD, and studies on humans have related shorter AGD to male genital birth defects as well as impaired reproductive function in adult males, and the levels of DiNP metabolites in humans are increasing globally.

30 Oct 2014

Physiology researcher receives grant to study effects of plastics on cardiovascular system

Nikki Posnack, Ph.D., a post-doctoral pharmacology and physiology researcher at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), received a $209,926 grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study plastics and their potential human health risks, particularly in the cardiovascular system.

6 May 2014

Banning the use of harmful flame retardants lowers exposures in pregnant women

Phasing out the use of potentially harmful flame retardants in furniture foam, electronics and plastics has lowered pregnant women's exposure to the substances, which are associated with health problems in both pregnant women and their newborns. The new study, which was published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, was the first to examine the phase-out's effectiveness.

26 Sep 2013

Intelligent t-shirt patient biomonitoring platform

Using this garment-based patient biomonitoring platform allows us to register a number of the patient's physiological parameters in a non-intrusive manner. "The information gathered by an intelligent t-shirt using e-textile technology is sent, without using wires, to an information management system, which then shows the patient's location and vital signs in real time", explain the UC3M researchers.

19 Sep 2011

Three Ontario projects set to further knowledge and discovery in biomonitoring, drug development

As part of the Genome Canada Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition, which as a whole awarded over $58 million to 16 projects across the country, the researchers in Ontario will be focusing on biomonitoring, understanding gene function with the aim of identifying genes or proteins for drug targets, and the creation of synthetic antibodies to target cancers and other diseases.

9 May 2011

EMD Millipore to acquire Biotest microbiology business to expand product portfolio

EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany, today announced plans to expand its industrial microbiological testing portfolio. This follows Merck KGaA's announcement it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the microbiology business of Germany-based Biotest AG.

22 Mar 2011

UC Berkeley receives $16.5 million to support three research centers to examine children's health

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health are getting $16.5 million to support three research centers as part of a federal initiative to examine the environmental factors influencing children's health.

18 Nov 2010

Chemistry Industry Association of Canada urges caution when interpreting biomonitoring studies

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada supports the results of Health Canada's Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, released today. Biomonitoring studies such as this are useful tools for obtaining exposure information, which can be combined with other scientific approaches to advance public health. That being said, the association urges caution when interpreting biomonitoring studies.

17 Aug 2010

BPA potentially puts developing infants as well as fetuses at risk, say researchers

Swiss researchers examining exposure pathways for a common chemical used in plastic containers and linings of cans find infants have the highest estimated levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), with exposures falling with rising age. While estimated levels are well below the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) set by European authorities, the findings are important in that BPA is thought to impact human development and is classified as an endocrine disrupting chemical, potentially putting developing infants at risk, as well as fetuses if pregnant mothers are exposed.

10 Mar 2010

LDDI releases biomonitoring report on environmental neurotoxins in health affected community

The Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) today released the first-ever biomonitoring report identifying toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental disability community.

5 Feb 2010

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to be released by CDC

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) expected to be released today by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is on the right track with a focus on testing people's bodies for chemical contamination, say environmental health advocates working on chemical exposure issues.

11 Dec 2009