Binge drinkers beware, Drunkorexia is calling. sciencedaily.com. May 15, 2020. Around 1 in 3 female students report saving calories for binge drinking episodes. Summary: Mojito, appletini or a simple glass of fizz — they may take the edge off a busy day, but if you find yourself bingeing on more than a few, you could […]

How too much fluoride causes defects in tooth enamel. sciencedaily.com. February 18, 2020. Changes within enamel cells point to mechanism by which excessive fluoride leads to fluorosis. Summary: Exposing teeth to excessive fluoride alters calcium signaling, mitochondrial function, and gene expression in the cells forming tooth enamel — a novel explanation for how dental fluorosis, […]

Disappearing snakes and the biodiversity crisis. sciencedaily.com. February 13, 2020. Summary: A new study should sound alarm bells regarding the ‘biodiversity crisis’ or the loss of wildlife around the world. Tropical snake (eyelash viper) (stock image). Credit: © ondrejprosicky / Adobe Stock A Michigan State University- and University of Maryland-led study should sound alarm bells regarding […]

Never too late to quit: Protective cells could cut risk of lung cancer for ex-smokers. sciencedaily.com. January 29, 2020. Summary: Protective cells in the lungs of ex-smokers could explain why quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing lung cancer. Scientists have discovered that compared to current smokers, people who had stopped smoking had more genetically […]

Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against. The growing threat of abrupt and irreversible climate changes must compel political and economic action on emissions. Timothy M. Lenton, Johan Rockström, Owen Gaffney, Stefan Rahmstorf, Katherine Richardson, Will Steffen & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. nature.com. November 27, 2019. Politicians, economists and even some natural scientists have […]

Air pollution is reaching endemic proportions. By Daniel T Cross. sustainability-times.com. November 22, 2019. Air pollution is a potent killer. Need proof? Consider these facts: in the United States alone some 200,000 people succumb to ailments brought on or exacerbated by toxic air. Air pollution has been linked to a variety of debilitating health conditions […]

The hidden cost of gold: Birth defects and brain damage. By Richard C. Paddock. nytimes.com. November 09, 2019. Thousands of children with crippling birth defects. Half a million people poisoned. A toxic chemical found in the food supply. Accusations of a government cover-up and police officers on the take. La balsa en el Museo del […]

Fast-acting German insecticide lost in the aftermath of WWII Fluoridated DDT swiftly kills disease-carrying mosquitoes, which may lower its environmental impact — but its history is alarming. sciencedaily.com. October 11, 2019. Summary: A new study explores the chemistry as well as the complicated and alarming history of DFDT, a fast-acting insecticide. Mosquito picando (Sertox) A […]

Study finds topsoil is key harbinger of lead exposure risks for children. sciencedaily.com. October 14, 2019. Summary: Tracking lead levels in soil over time is critical for cities to determine lead contamination risks for their youngest and most vulnerable residents, according to a new study.Tracking lead levels in soil over time is critical for cities […]

Environmental toxins impair immune system over multiple generations. sciencedaily.com. October 02, 2019. Summary: New research shows that maternal exposure to a common and ubiquitous form of industrial pollution can harm the immune system of offspring and that this injury is passed along to subsequent generations, weakening the body’s defenses against infections such as the influenza […]

E-cigarettes, tobacco and cannabis products are littering high schools. sciencedaily.com. October 10, 2019. Summary: High schools in the San Francisco Bay area are being contaminated by plastics and toxic litter from e-cigarettes, cannabis products and combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigarillos, a new study has found.High schools in the San Francisco Bay Area […]

Placebos: what they’re made of matters. By Jeremy Howick*. theconversation.com. October 01, 2019. Placebo controls are a gold standard against which new treatments are often measured. If a new treatment consistently proves to be better than a placebo and safe, it can be marketed, sold and prescribed. Otherwise, it can’t – or at least shouldn’t. […]

Vaping-associated lung injury may be caused by toxic chemical fumes, study finds. sciencedaily.com. October 02, 2019. Summary: Research into the pathology of vaping-associated lung injury is in its early stages, but a study finds that lung injuries from vaping most likely are caused by direct toxicity or tissue damage from noxious chemical fumes. Cigarrillo electrónico […]

N° 29 – November 2019Monthly Electronic Newsletter of Sertox (Latin-American Portal of Toxicology) – Year 3

Neurotoxin lead sometimes added to turmeric for brighter color. sciencedaily.com. September 24, 2019- Summary: Some spice processors in Bangladesh use an industrial lead chromate pigment to imbue turmeric with a bright yellow color prized for curries and other traditional dishes, elevating blood lead levels in Bangladeshis. Curcuma en polvo (Sertox) It’s billed as a health […]

Antimicrobial resistance is drastically rising. sciencedaily.com. September 19, 2019. Summary: Researchers have shown that antimicrobial-resistant infections are rapidly increasing in animals in low and middle income countries. They produced the first global of resistance rates, and identified regions where interventions are urgently needed. Pollos corriendo (Sertox) Chickens (stock image).Credit: © Alexbedoya / Adobe StockThe world is […]

Air pollution can reach the placenta around a developing baby. By Aimee Cunningham*. sciencenews.org. September 17, 2019. A study of women in Belgium found black carbon particles, or soot, within the organ. Breathing in polluted air may send soot far beyond a pregnant woman’s lungs, all the way to the womb surrounding her developing baby. […]

Antibiotic resistance surges in dolphins, mirroring humans. 13 years of antibiotic resistance trends in bottlenose dolphins. sciencedaily.com. September 15, 2019. Summary: Scientists obtained a total of 733 pathogen isolates from 171 individual wild Bottlenose dolphins in Florida and found that the overall prevalence of resistance to at least one antibiotic for the 733 isolates was […]

Controversial insecticides shown to threaten survival of wild birds. sciencedaily.com. September 12, 2019. Summary: New research shows how the world’s most widely used insecticides could be partly responsible for dramatic declines in farmland bird populations. In the first experiment to track effects of a neonicotinoid pesticide on birds in the wild, the team found that […]

Environment: Pollutants found in skin and blubber of English Channel dolphins. eurekalert.org. September 12, 2019. High levels of pollutants, such as industrial fluids and mercury, may have accumulated in the blubber and skin of one of the largest coastal populations of dolphins in Europe, a study in Scientific Reports indicates. Mercury concentrations found in 82 […]

E-cigarettes: Smoking Cessation Aid or Dangerous Addiction? By Anna Sayburn. medscape.com. September 10, 2019. Recent reports of a death in the US linked to vaping, and of almost 200 cases of lung disease, have caused alarm about the widespread use of e-cigarettes. Cigarrillo electrónico en uso (elmundo.es) Director of the US Centers for Disease Control […]

Commonly used antibiotics may lead to heart problems. sciencedaily.com. September 10, 2019. Summary: Scientists have shown for the first time a link between two types of heart problems and one of the most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics. (Sertox) Antibiotic pills illustration (stock image).Credit: © pictoores / Adobe StockScientists have shown for the first time a […]

Unique report details dermatological progression and effective treatment of a severe jellyfish sting. sciencedaily.com, September 5, 2019. Summary: A detailed case report documents the dermatological progression of a patient stung by a jellyfish off the coast of Cambodia. The aim of this report is to guide clinicians and patients to understand what to expect after […]

 Baylor College of Medicine Taking Action to Address Youth Smoking and Vaping. bcm.edu. September 2019.Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. More than 16 million Americans are living with a serious disease caused by smoking. The vast majority of smokers start smoking as teenagers. Cigarrillo electrónico en uso […]