environmental health sciences environmental health sciences john

Environmental Health SciencesEnvironmental Health Sciences www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.orgwww.EnvironmentalHealthNews.org

www.EnvironmentalHealthNews.orgwww.OurStolenFuture.org

Environmental Health SciencesJohn Peterson Myers, Ph.D.John Peterson Myers, Ph.D.

A revolution in the environmental health sciences:

New opportunities to prevent disease.


Profound changes in how we think about links between contamination and human health.

Mid-stream in a scientific revolution

Dramatic opportunities for prevention

Unexpected discoveries about products, including some plastics, we thought were safe

Profound changes

Unexpected discoveries


-High dose experiments don’t predict those low dose impacts.

Three key discoveriesThree key discoveries

-Adult diseases and sensitivity to subsequent exposures can be programmed during development.

-Some contaminants can alter gene behavior at extremely low doses.

extremely low doses

low dose impacts


2. High level tests 2. High level tests don’t predict low level don’t predict low level impactsimpacts

3 lessons from two 3 lessons from two micemice

Same strain of Same strain of micemiceSame caloric Same caloric intakeintakeSame activity Same activity levels levels

Newbold Newbold et alet al. 2005, 2007. 2005, 2007

1 part per billion 1 part per billion DESDES100 ppb causes 100 ppb causes weight lossweight loss

Exposure in the Exposure in the wombwomb-->Obese as adult-->Obese as adult

1.1. Low levels matterLow levels matter

3. Fetal exposures 3. Fetal exposures alter adult healthalter adult health


Traditional toxicology and Traditional toxicology and epidemiology are highly likely to epidemiology are highly likely to have have underestimatedunderestimated low-dose low-dose impacts on human health, impacts on human health, including cancer.including cancer.

What does this revolution What does this revolution reveal?reveal?

They have given us a They have given us a false sense false sense of securityof security about the safety of about the safety of many chemicals.many chemicals.

And they have And they have hidden the pathhidden the path toward effective disease toward effective disease prevention.prevention.


The genetic basis of many human diseases

Roots of the revolution?Roots of the revolution?

????????


Heredity: What we get from our parents

Two ways to think about Two ways to think about genesgenes

Gene behavior : Chemical manufacturing machines


Other genes Other genes and signals and signals they sendthey send

What changes gene What changes gene expression?expression?

StresStresss

DieDiett

ExperienceExperience

EnvironmentEnvironmental al

contaminantcontaminantss

HereditHeredityy

““Classic Classic Genetics”Genetics”

““Classic Classic EnvironmentEnvironment

””


GeneticsGenetics

vs.vs.

EnvironmentEnvironment

HeredityHeredity

HealthHealth

Diet, experience, stress, contaminationDiet, experience, stress, contamination


Conceptual shiftsConceptual shifts

Old…Old… a disease that is a disease that is linked to genes is a linked to genes is a disease under hereditary disease under hereditary control.control.New…New… a disease linked to a disease linked to genes is one vulnerable to genes is one vulnerable to environmental causes… to environmental causes… to genetic hijackinggenetic hijacking


Conceptual shiftsConceptual shifts

New…New… impacts at everyday impacts at everyday levels…levels………levels people had become levels people had become

accustomed to calling accustomed to calling “normal,” background levels…“normal,” background levels…

Old…Old… only high levels matter only high levels matter

……levels that couldn’t levels that couldn’t even be measured 20 even be measured 20 yrs ago.yrs ago.


Allergic reactions increased Allergic reactions increased by exposure to low levelsby exposure to low levels

Parts per billionParts per billionParts per trillionParts per trillionNarita Narita et alet al. 2007. 2007


Diabetes risk:Diabetes risk:NHANES dataNHANES data2,016 subjects2,016 subjects

6 POPs:6 POPs:PCB153 0.001PCB153 0.001Heptadioxin 0.007Heptadioxin 0.007OCDdioxin 0.094OCDdioxin 0.094Oxychlordane 0.001Oxychlordane 0.001DDE 0.001DDE 0.001trans-Nonachlor 0.001trans-Nonachlor 0.001

POPs and Risk of Type II POPs and Risk of Type II DiabetesDiabetes


Bad news, good newsBad news, good news

Good news…Good news…

A disease under genetic A disease under genetic control may be one caused control may be one caused by genetic hijacking.by genetic hijacking.

We will have the opportunity We will have the opportunity to prevent many diseases to prevent many diseases that heretofore have not that heretofore have not been perceived as been perceived as preventable.preventable.


Hormone-related cancers

Learning disabilities, ADHD

Pre-term birth, miscarriageObesity and diabetes

Asthma

Degenerative diseases

Infertility

Endometriosis, autoimmunity

Autism

Today’s epidemicsToday’s epidemics

environmental health sciences environmental health sciences john

Documents