Epigenetic marks may help assess toxic exposure risk — someday
More work needed to understand what chemical tags on DNA, proteins mean

ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES Things people come in contact with every day, such as pesticides, chemicals in water, hormone-mimicking chemicals in cash register receipts, smoke and air pollution, can change chemical tags on DNA and proteins. What those changes mean and how useful they are for determining health risks aren’t yet clear.
Clockwise from top left: Ittipon/Shutterstock; Gyvafoto/Shutterstock; BILLION PHOTOS/SHUTTERSTOCK; ZURIJETA/SHUTTERSTOCK
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