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Emerging Environmental Obesogens: Current Knowledge on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Micro-Nano Plastics, and Tire Additives
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This review pulls together existing research on three types of everyday chemical pollutants, PFAS ("forever chemicals"), microplastics, and tire particles, that show up in our drinking water and food, and looks at how they may disrupt the body's ability to regulate fat and blood sugar, potentially contributing to weight gain and obesity. While the science is still developing and more research is needed, the findings suggest that chemical exposure, not just diet and exercise, may play a hidden role in the obesity epidemic, with lower-income communities potentially facing greater risk due to higher exposure levels.
The growing prevalence of obesity worldwide has been attributed not only to behavioral and genetic factors but also to chronic exposure to environmental chemicals known as obesogens. This review synthesizes current evidence on three underexamined classes of emerging environmental obesogens: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs), and tire-derived organic pollutants (TDOPs), with particular focus on their metabolic impacts and potential synergistic effects. These contaminants are widely detected in drinking water, food products and food-contact materials, and epidemiological evidence increasingly links them to dysregulation of lipid metabolism, impairment of glucose homeostasis, and obesity-related outcomes. These contaminants may disproportionately affect marginalized communities due to synergistic toxicity, systemic exposure disparities, and greater economic vulnerabilities. The review discusses shared exposure pathways, plausible molecular mechanisms, and heightened human vulnerability. Critical knowledge gaps are identified, including limited data on emerging PFAS, nanoplastics and their additives, chronic co-exposures, and analytical challenges in tracking human exposure. By integrating evidence across these contaminant classes, the review highlights the need for coordinated research efforts to better characterize the cumulative obesogenic burden of emerging environmental pollutants.
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Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) as Emerging Obesogens: Mechanisms, Epidemiological Evidence, and Regulatory Challenges
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This review examines growing evidence that PFAS, the 'forever chemicals' found in many consumer products, may act as obesogens, meaning they could promote obesity by disrupting hormones and fat metabolism. PFAS exposure has been linked to changes in how the body stores fat and processes lipids, with some studies suggesting maternal exposure may increase obesity risk in children. While focused on PFAS rather than microplastics, the findings are relevant because both are persistent environmental pollutants that can act as endocrine disruptors.
Weighty Consequences: Pollution’s Hidden Weight in the Obesity Epidemic: A Narrative Review
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This narrative review examines evidence linking environmental pollutants—including air pollution, persistent organic pollutants, and microplastics—to obesity and metabolic disruption. It highlights biological mechanisms by which pollutants act as obesogens and calls for pollution to be considered a driver of the global obesity epidemic.
Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Do They Matter to Aquatic Ecosystems?
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This review examines PFAS, the persistent 'forever chemicals' widely used in consumer products, and their growing threat to aquatic ecosystems. Evidence indicates that PFAS accumulate in aquatic organisms, disrupt hormones, and can alter how other pollutants behave in the environment. The research is relevant to microplastic concerns because PFAS are commonly found in plastic products and can leach from microplastics into water.
Research Progress in Current and Emerging Issues of PFASs’ Global Impact: Long-Term Health Effects and Governance of Food Systems
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This review covers per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called "forever chemicals," which are found in food, cosmetics, drinking water, and are linked to microplastic contamination. Decades of corporate delay and mismanagement have led to widespread human exposure with potential long-term health effects being studied across the globe. The authors examine PFAS levels in food and water from multiple countries and call for stronger regulations to protect public health.
Forever Chemicals PFAS Global Impact and Activities, Cascading Consequences of Colossal Systems Failure: Long-Term Health Effects, Food-Systems, Eco-Systems
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This comprehensive review examines PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination across food, water, and consumer products, highlighting their interconnection with microplastic pollution. The authors document decades of delayed regulatory action and cover-ups that have contributed to widespread human exposure. Evidence indicates long-term health effects from PFAS exposure, and the review calls for stronger risk assessment tools and policy responses to address this persistent chemical contamination.
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