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Newspapers And Newspaper Ink Contain Agonists For The Ah Receptor, Jessica E. S. Bohonowych, Bin Zhao, Alicia R. Timme-Laragy, Dawoon Jung, Richard T. Di Giulio, Michael S. Denison

Alicia R. Timme-Laragy

Ligand-dependent activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway leads to a diverse array of biological and toxicological effects. The best-studied ligands for the AhR include polycyclic and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, the most potent of which is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). However, as new AhR ligands are identified and characterized, their structural and physiochemical diversity continues to expand. Our identification of AhR agonists in crude extracts from diverse materials raises questions as to the magnitude and extent of human exposure to AhR ligands through normal daily activities. We have found that solvent extracts of newspapers from countries around the world stimulate the …