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Mixture of environmental contaminants more imposing on brain messenger than lone chemicals
Scientists demonstrate that the effects of different environmental contaminants can add together to have a greater effect on an important signaling chemical in the brain.
A mixture of different environmental contaminants can add up to a have a bigger effect on an important brain chemical called glutamate than any one of them alone.
Risk assessments of the harmful effects of chemicals typically focus on assessing each chemical individually. Yet, we encounter a sea of chemicals in everyday life. Chemical combinations can potentially have additive (1 + 1 = 2), synergistic (1 + 1 > 2), or antagonistic (1 + 1 < 2) effects. A growing body of evidence shows that looking at the effects of combinations of chemicals that are likely to be encountered may be a more appropriate way to assess health risk.