Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. Epidemiological studies have reported that exposure of the population to environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is associated with NAFLD. However, EDCs are of different types, and there are inconsistencies in the relevant evidence and descriptions, which have not been systematically summarized so far. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between population exposure to EDCs and NAFLD. Three databases, including PubMed, Web of science, and Embase were searched, and 27 articles were included in this study. Methodological quality, heterogeneity, and publication bias of the included studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, I2 statistics, Begg\'s test, and Egger\'s test. The estimated effect sizes of the included studies were pooled and evaluated using the random-effects model (I2 > 50 %) and the fixed-effects model ( I2 < 50 %). The pooled-estimate effect sizes showed that population exposure to Phthalates (PAEs) (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI:1.03-1.34), cadmium (Cd) (OR = 1.37, 95 % CI:1.09-1.72), and bisphenol A (OR = 1.43, 95 % CI:1.24-1.65) were positively correlated with the risk of NAFLD. Exposure to mercury (OR =1.46, 95 % CI:1.17-1.84) and Cd increased the risk of \"elevated alanine aminotransferase\". On the contrary, no significant association was identified between perfluoroalkyl substances (OR =0.99, 95 % CI:0.93-1.06) and NAFLD. However, female exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (OR =1.82, 95 % CI:1.01-3.26) led to a higher risk of NAFLD than male exposure. In conclusion, this study revealed that EDCs were risk factors for NAFLD. Nonetheless, the sensitivity analysis results of some of the meta-analyses were not stable and demonstrated high heterogeneity. The evidence for these associations is limited, and more large-scale population-based studies are required to confirm these findings.

Children are known to be more vulnerable to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) compared to adults, but evaluating the exposure pathways can be challenging. This research employed target and non-target analysis (NTA) to examine the exposure characteristics of EDCs in spot urine samples collected from 46 children\'s (aged 3-12 years) and their parents in Hong Kong (Chinese/Western lifestyle) and Guangzhou (mainly Chinese lifestyle). The results revealed that the geometric mean concentrations of phthalate esters metabolites (mPAEs) and bisphenols (BPs) in children\'s urine were 127.3 μg/gcrea and 2.5 μg/gcrea in Guangzhou, and 93.7 μg/gcrea and 2.9 μg/gcrea in Hong Kong, respectively, which were consistent with global levels. NTA identified a total of 1069 compounds, including 106 EDCs, commonly detected in food, cosmetics, and drugs. Notable regional differences were observed between Guangzhou and Hong Kong with potential sources of EDCs including dietary and cosmetic additives, toys, flooring and dust, as well as differences in lifestyles, diet, and living environment. However, age was found to significantly impact EDC exposure. The quantified EDCs (mPAEs and BPs) posed possible health risks to 60% of the children. Moreover, the presence of caffeine in children\'s urine, which exhibited higher detection rates in children from Hong Kong (95.6%) and Guangzhou (44.4%), warrants further attention. The sources of EDCs exposure in these regions need to be fully confirmed.

Biofilms play a significant role in the biogeochemical processing of organic matter and the environmental fate of emerging pollutants. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and distribution of 32 endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including 24 environmental corticosteroids (ECs) and 8 environmental estrogens (EEs), in natural biofilms from the Pearl River system. Their association between biofilms and water and environmental risk were assessed. The ECs and EEs ubiquitously occurred in the biofilms, ranging from <0.61-6.57 ng/g and <0.8-2535 ng/g, respectively. Temporally, there was no obvious variance in either ECs or EEs in the biofilms during the winter and summer, and their concentrations exhibited a spatial trend of upward to midstream, descending downstream, and then seaward attenuation at the estuary. For ECs and EEs, the similar levels of field-derived bioconcentration factors (BCFs) (logarithm values: 2.42-2.86 and 2.72-2.98, respectively) and biofilm organic carbon-normalized partitioning coefficients (Kboc) (3.39-3.69 and 3.35-3.95) suggest the comparable potential of accumulation and sorption by biofilms between these two classes of EDCs. In addition, higher values of BCF and Kboc for the EEs were found in winter and were correspondingly comparable to their distribution coefficients (Kd) and Koc derived from suspended particles and sediment, revealing that biofilms are a competitive environmental compartment for capturing EDCs, particularly during the mature period. A positive logKboc-logKow relationship suggests hydrophobic partitioning as a primary interaction mechanism between the biofilm and EEs. Moreover, high risks from biofilm-associated ECs and EEs might have posed to the fluvial ecosystem. This study provides original insights into the occurrence, fate, and risk of ECs in natural biofilms for the first time and demonstrates that biofilms may not only serve as reservoirs but also serve as sentinels for fluvial EDC contamination. These results contribute to the further understanding of the behavior and fate of EDCs in aquatic environments.

Di (2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), one of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), has widespread concern due to its serious health hazards. Exposure to DEHP in the early stage of life affects fetal metabolic and endocrine function, which even would cause genetic lesions. To date, it is widely believed that the increasing incidence of childhood obesity and diabetes in adolescents is related to the impact of DEHP on glucose and lipid homeostasis in children. However, there remains a knowledge gap to recognize these adverse effects. Thus, in this review, besides the exposure routes and levels of DEHP, we further outline the effects of early-life exposure to DEHP on children and potential mechanisms, focusing on the aspect of metabolic and endocrine homeostasis.

Wide exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) poses a great risk on human health. However, few large-scale cohort studies have comprehensively estimated the association between EDCs exposure and mortality risk. This study aimed to investigate the association of urinary EDCs exposure with mortality risk and quantify attributable mortality and economic loss. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to investigate the association of 38 representative EDCs exposure with mortality risk in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). During a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 47,279 individuals were enrolled. All-cause mortality was positively associated with 1-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxynaphthalene, cadmium, antimony, cobalt, and monobenzyl phthalate. Cancer mortality was positively associated with cadmium. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality was positively associated with 1-hydroxynaphthalene, 2-hydroxynaphthalene, and 2-hydroxyfluorene. Nonlinear U-shaped relationships were found between all-cause mortality and cadmium and cobalt, which was also identified between 2-hydroxyfluorene and CVD mortality. J-shaped association of cadmium exposure with cancer mortality was also determined. EDCs exposure may cause 56.52% of total deaths (1,528,500 deaths) and around 1,897 billion USD in economic costs. Exposure to certain phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phytoestrogens, or toxic metals, even at substantially low levels, is significantly associated with mortality and induces high economic costs.

Parabens are one of the most widely used preservatives in food, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PCPs) because of their advantageous properties and low toxicity based on the early assessments. However, recent research indicates that parabens may act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and thus, are considered as chemicals of emerging concern that have adverse human health effects. To provide the basis for future human health studies, we reviewed relevant literature, published between 2005 and 2020, regarding the levels of parabens in the consumer products (pharmaceuticals, PCPs and food), environmental matrices and humans, including susceptible populations, such as pregnant women and children. The analysis showed that paraben detection rates in consumer products, environmental compartments and human populations are high, while the levels vary greatly by country and paraben type. The concentrations of parabens reported in pregnant women (~20-120 μg/L) were an order of magnitude higher than in the general population. Paraben concentrations in food and pharmaceuticals were at the ng/g level, while the levels in PCPs reached mg/g levels. Environmental concentrations ranged from ng/L-μg/L in surface waters to tens of μg/g in wastewater and indoor dust. The levels of human exposure to parabens appear to be higher in the U.S. and EU countries than in China and India, which may change with the increasing production of parabens in the latter countries. The review provides context for future studies to connect paraben exposure levels with human health effects.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) exist ubiquitously in the environment. Epidemiological data suggest that the increasing prevalence of infertility may be related to the numerous chemicals. Exposure to EDCs may have significant adverse impacts on the reproductive system including fertility, ovarian reserve, and sex steroid hormone levels. This chapter covers the common exposure ways, the origins of EDCs, and their effects on ovarian function, follicular genesis, and oocyte quality. Furthermore, we will review the origin and the physiology of ovarian development, as well as explore the mechanisms in which EDCs act on the ovary from human and animal data. And then, we will focus on the bisphenol A (BPA), which has been shown to reduce fertility and ovarian reserve, as well as disrupt steroidogenesis in animal and human models. Finally, we will discuss the future direction of prevention and solution methods.

Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) have been widely studied in landfill leachates but not in the surrounding environment of landfills. In this study, two sampling campaigns were conducted to determine 45 EOCs in landfill leachates and environmental samples near a landfill in East China. Our study focused on the seasonal occurrence and spatial distribution of the target EOCs, as well as their ecological risks. The results showed 13 out of 45 EOCs were detectable and achieved individual concentrations that ranged from 2.0 to 5080 ng/L in the landfill leachates. Most of the detected EOCs exhibited higher concentrations in the leachates collected in summer than in winter. Effective removal of the EOCs by a two-stage disc tube reverse osmosis (DTRO) system led to a significant reduction in their concentration levels (< LOQ ~ 49 ng/L) in treated leachates. Eight EOCs (< LOQ ~ 62.7 ng/L) were detected in the groundwater adjacent to the landfill and had a similar composition pattern to raw leachates. The contamination levels of the target EOCs in groundwater decreased with the distance of sampling sites from the landfill. In soil samples, the occurrence of target EOCs was not consistent with raw or treated landfill leachates. Spatially, no apparent difference in the EOC concentrations was observed in the soil nearby the landfill. Crop plants sorbed the EOCs contained in soil (< LOQ ~ 30.4 ng/L), but they were not able to bioconcentrate the contaminants in either roots or edible parts. Risk assessment suggested that the individual EOC likely posed medium to high risks to aquatic organisms in groundwater while negligible impacts to human health through consumption of vegetables. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the contribution of landfill leachates to EOC contamination in both aquatic and soil environments in East China. Our findings emphasized the importance of investigating EOCs in landfill leachates and accumulative environmental risks of EOCs in the neighboring environment of landfills in China.

A carbon nanotube (CNT)-mediated antibody-free suspension array (CASA) by integration of functionalized CNTs and aptamer (Apt) into xMAP® technology for simultaneous determination of typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was developed . The interaction between CNTs and Apt acts as an effective and straightforward signal recognition, transformation, and amplification strategy. The amino-functionalized CNTs are covalently modified on the carboxyl-functionalized magnetic bead (MB) and further physically bridging with biotinylated Apt. CNTs on the surface of MBs not only increase the amount of Apt for target binding and signal amplification but also maintain the biological activity of Apt. After magnetic separation, the encoded MB address was distinguished and the concentration of the target in the liquid was negatively correlated with median fluorescence intensity. A series of environmental water samples were analysed by CASA, traditional immuno-SA, and competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for validation. The results obtained using CASA well matched for the multiplexed detection of various targets with dynamic concentration range from 6.40 × 10-5 to 4.00 μg L-1 within 1 h. The method also confirmed good selectively, accuracy, and consistency with high-performance liquid chromatography. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of amino-functionalized carbon nanotube (CNT)-bridged antibody-free suspension array for detecting of three typical endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The amino-functionalized CNTs are covalently modified and further physically interacted with biotinylated aptamer featuring in the recognition and binding with the target of interest.

Residual chemicals discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and subsequent ecological risk are important in production safety when reuse of the effluent water occurs. Thus, this work provides an investigation of the occurrence and removal of dissolved Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in 38 WWTPs in Guangdong Province, China. The results indicate that EDCs are widely distributed in the investigated WWTPs, while nonylphenols (NPs) are the predominant chemical among the target EDCs, accounting for >98% of the concentration in the influent and >97% of the concentration in the effluent. Moreover, 4 main types of wastewater treatment processes (oxidation ditch, A2/O, conventional activated sludge and microaeration oxidation ditch followed by A2/O) were found to be inefficient for removing dissolved EDCs, with a mean removal rate of approximately 25%. The potential environmental risk was predicted for residual EDCs. Specifically, 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) was considered to be the most hazardous chemical among the target EDCs, with a median risk quotient (RQ) of 8.94. In addition, β-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) have median RQs of 1.14 and 0.27, and NPs have median RQs of 0.61 (algae), 0.37 (inverberate) and 0.25 (fish), respectively.