Endocrine Disruptors
Endocrine disruptors are man-made synthetic chemicals and natural phytoestrogens (naturally occurring plant-derived estrogen, a hormone) that interfere with the endocrine systems of humans and animals by mimicking, blocking, and/or interfering in some manner with the natural instructions of hormones to cells. The resulting disruption creates many problems with physical development, sex, reproduction, brain development, behavior, temperature regulation, and more. Other names for endocrine disruptors (EDs) are hormone mimics and hormone copycats. The bodies of animals and humans depend upon a complexly integrated and timed series of events, of which the delivery of hormones to various organs is vital. When the delivery timing and/or amount of a hormone is upset, the results can be devastating and permanent.
The most insidious of the EDs are man-made synthetic chemicals. We are routinely exposed to them in most areas of our daily lives at home, work, and play. Known and suspected EDs come in things we have been led to believe have been thoroughly tested for the safety of our health and environment. These types of products include cosmetics, sunscreens, perfumes, soaps, detergents, solvents, dental sealants, pharmaceuticals, such as birth control pills, clear plastic baby bottles, and some water bottles. The list also includes many chemicals in plastics, such as PVC, polystyrene (a.k.a. Styrofoam), and others, and pesticides, such as Monsanto’s Roundup and many others. A few heavy metals are included — arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury. Other known EDs are the 209 PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), 75 dioxins, and 135 furans. The creation can be intentional and/or as byproducts of industrial processes, such as the production of paper that uses chlorine bleaching, as well as the incineration of chlorine containing products, such as PVC burned in incinerators, residential backyard barrels, or accidentally in residential fires.
PVC is made into toys, teethers, clothing, raincoats, shoes, and building products, such as windows, siding, roofing, and flooring. Other uses are for hospital blood bags, IV bags, tubing, and other medical devices. Polystyrene, another ED, is made into food containers for meats, fish, cheeses, yogurt, foam and clear clamshell containers, foam and rigid plates, clear bakery containers, packaging “peanuts”, foam packaging, audio cassette housings, CD cases, and disposable cutlery. Other specific EDs are oil refining, burning coal and oil for energy, all car and truck exhaust, and cigarette smoke.
Endocrine Disruptors
Persistent Organohalogens: dioxins and furans, PBBs, PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, octachlorostyrene, pentachlorophenol
Pesticides: 2,4,5-T, 2,4-D, alachlor, aldicarb, d-trans allethrin, amitrole, atrazine, benomyl, beta-HCH, carbaryl, chlordane, chlozolinate, -cyhalothrin, cis-nonachlor, cypermethrin, DBCP, DDT, DDT metabolites, dicofol, dieldrin, endosulfan, esfenvalerate, ethylparathion, fenvalerate, h-epoxide, heptachlor, iprodione, kelthane, kepone, ketoconazole, lindane, linurone, malathion, mancozeb, maneb, methomyl, methoxychlor, metiram, metribuzin, mirex, nitrofen, oxychlordane, permethrin, procymidone, sumithrin, synthetic pyrethroids, toxaphene, trans-nonachlor, tributyltin oxide, trifluralin, vinclozolin, zineb, ziram
Phthalates: Di-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), Di-n-pentyl phthalate (DPP), Di-hexyl phthalate (DHP), Di-propyl phthalate (DprP), Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
Other: Penta- to Nonyl-Phenols, Bisphenol A, Bisphenol F, Styrene dimers and trimers, Benzo(a)pyrene, ethane dimethane, sulphonate, tris-4-(chlorophenyl), methane, tris-4-(chlorophenyl), methanol, Benzophenone, N-butyl benzene, 4-nitrotoluene, 2,4-dichlorophenol, Cyanazine, Diethylhexyl adipate
Metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury
Pharmaceuticals: drug estrogens — birth control pills, DES, cimetidine
More EDs: ordinary household products (breakdown products of detergents and associated surfactants, including nonylphenol and octylphenol)
