Dermal exposure to bisphenols is an underrecognized pathway of systemic uptake, but differences in study designs and measured endpoints complicate exposure assessment. This systematic review synthesizes 71 studies examining dermal transfer, skin permeation and retention, human toxicokinetics, and exposure modeling for bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogs. BPA has the strongest evidence for systemic dermal uptake, supported by controlled human and experimental studies, while occupational biomonitoring supports exposure relevance without isolating the dermal route. Human studies demonstrate delayed BPA absorption and partial avoidance of first-pass metabolism. BPS generally shows lower transdermal passage than BPA but substantial skin retention, whereas BPAF and TGSA exhibit appreciable permeation in human-skin experiments. Thermal paper remains the best-characterized source; textiles, hygiene products, and other consumer materials represent additional potential sources, although their dermal dose estimates rely largely on modeled migration and absorption assumptions. Dermal exposure assessment requires compound- and condition-specific parameters that distinguish skin loading, retention, permeation, and systemic bioavailability. Lower permeability does not necessarily imply lower risk. Improved human toxicokinetic data, realistic migration measurements, and refined PBPK models are needed to strengthen exposure assessment and evaluation of bisphenol alternatives.
Preterm birth (PTB), defined as delivery before 37 completed weeks of gestation, affects approximately 10
This systematic review evaluates the current epidemiological evidence on the relationship between particulate matter (PM) exposure and neurological health in older adults, with particular attention to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. A PRISMA-guided systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect was conducted through January 2026. Twenty-one observational studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently studied outcomes were cognitive performance and decline and cognitive impairment, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with several studies reporting adverse associations, particularly for long-term PM2.5 exposure. Evidence for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was also provided by several large cohort studies, although findings varied across exposure metrics and clinical endpoints. In contrast, evidence for Parkinson’s disease-related hospitalizations, cerebral amyloid burden, retinal neurodegeneration, mental disorder-related hospital admissions, and individual PM constituents was more limited and was often based on one or a few studies. Findings concerning specific PM constituents were heterogeneous and should therefore be considered exploratory. The available evidence suggests an association between PM exposure and adverse neurological health in older adults, with the most substantial evidence concerning long-term PM2.5 exposure and cognitive outcomes. However, the strength and certainty of the evidence vary considerably across pollutants and neurological endpoints. Heterogeneity in study design, exposure assessment, and outcome definitions should be considered when interpreting the overall findings.
People with sickle cell disease (SCD) may be uniquely vulnerable and susceptible to serious health exacerbations associated with outdoor air pollution exposure. In this scoping review, we summarize evidence about impacts of outdoor air pollution exposure on health among people with SCD. Four databases were queried for peer-reviewed, primary research articles published before December 31, 2024. We identified 2246 articles, screened 1454 abstracts, and reviewed 30 full-texts. 12 studies met the inclusion criteria, and all included children in the study population. Half of the included studies were set in the United States. Further, half of the studies were published during or after 2020. Across study designs, associations were consistently positive for CO, NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 exposures and all-cause ED visits among adults and children, yet few were statistically significant (n = 3). This review identified a small body of literature supporting positive associations between ambient exposure to CO, NO2, PM2.5, and PM10 and all-cause ED visits among adults and children living with SCD, and findings were consistent with prior research among other potentially susceptible groups. However, marked methodological heterogeneity across studies limited broader inferences.
We reviewed how heat exposure is defined using thresholds and reference temperatures derived from the temperature–mortality exposure–response curve in time-series and case-crossover studies using distributed lag non-linear models and propose a harmonisation framework relevant to climate change research and heat disaster preparedness. The rapid review identified variation across studies in heat thresholds and reference temperatures, affecting the comparability of estimates. A case study in Spain illustrates how the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) approach estimates overall heat-related mortality and its contributions from moderate and extreme heat, whereas the percentile-based approach estimates excessive heat mortality that could potentially be prevented by protective measures operating above the heat threshold. Differences in heat thresholds and reference temperatures make findings harder to compare across studies and complicate risk communication. Explicit reporting of these two components and their relevance to the research question and intended application would improve interpretation and translation to public health action.
