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Some Health Effects of Endocrine Disruptors

• Birth defects
• Immunological disorders
• Reduced physical stamina
• Enlarges prostate and cancer
• Decreases in gross and fine eye-hand coordination
• Neurologic disorders
• Early uberty in young girls
• Genital birth defects (hypospadias and cryptorchidism)
• Developmental, behavior, and mood disorders: angers, inattention
• Decreased mental capacity
• Reduced motor skills
• Endometriosis
• Cancers: breast, colon, vaginal, cervix, testicular, brain, nervous system
• Diabetes mellitus
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Reduced sperm counts
• Propensity to violence
• Intellectual retardation

  Manufacturers of these chemicals know their dangers through their own research. Countless scientists and organizations have also warned them for many years. Not only do they refuse to test them adequately before marketing them, but also they have organized action groups spending many millions of dollars on public media campaigns to misinform us. Profit is the sole reason.
  Chemical manufacturers claim that the scientists who urge caution with regards to EDs are but hysterical sensationalists. Something they like to scare us with is that ending production of these toxic chemicals would take jobs away from people. They also say that because only animal tests have been done, no proof exists that humans are being affected as other animals are. But through studies of industrial workers’ health and accidents enough has been learned to strongly implicate EDs. When industry gets really scared they debunk any negative claim as being “junk science.”
  The estrogenic properties of bisphenol-A (BPA) was known as early as 1936, yet children now have their teeth coated with plastic containing BPA. The ADA denies any problem and goes on coating teeth. Food and drink cans are lined with it. Some plastic baby bottles contain it and other plasticizers. In April 1999, Consumer Reports Special Report advised parents to dispose of soft vinyl teethers and toys that infants sometimes suck or chew, and all clear, shiny plastic baby bottles, unless the manufacturer tells you they’re not made of polycarbonate, which leaches BPA. They also advised them to replace the bottles with those made of glass or an opaque, less-shiny plastic (the plastic bottles are often colored). Shortly thereafter, in conjunction with American Council on Health and Science (ACSH), an industry-funded front group, family doctor C. Everett Koop strongly stated that there is no problem. His press release stated that polycarbonate bottles are safe and that the public should not listen to the “junk science” of the people that brought us the alar scare. Not only was alar proven to be as toxic as claimed, but Koop’s argument in favor of polycarbonate bottles is wrought with contradictions.
  The government doesn’t test chemicals for safety. Nor do they regulate by the scientific standards that are possible today. Old regulations and laws govern the production and use of most chemicals and products on the market today. Each attempt at legislation is usually thwarted by industry.
  The Endocrine Disruptors Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), which convened between 1997 and 1998, was established to advise the EPA on a strategy for screening and testing new and existing chemicals for their potential to disrupt endocrine functions in humans and wildlife. Some of the EDSTAC recommendations are that EPA considers screening and testing 87,000 chemicals, to address environmental impacts, and focus on both human and ecological health. Sadly, Congress grossly under-funded the EPA for this project, and it hasn’t a hope of progressing. In 1998, a rough estimate of its cost was $50 million,but EPA got only $3.2 million in fiscal year 1999. Industry has not offered to pay for any testing in spite of the fact that these highly suspect chemicals are all industry-produced.
  Pesticides are a good example of regulations that were written — in complete disregard for public health– with only industry profits in mind. Without any testing at all, many pesticides are “grandfathered in,” or approved for use because they were created before regulations. Pesticide testing is done by manufacturers and/or paid for by manufacturers. Even then, they are not tested as the final product sold in stores or to farmers. Only the “active ingredient’ of a pesticide is tested, not its “inert ingredients,” which can be as much as 99.99% of the product. Inerts can be significantly more toxic than the actives. The mixture of active and inerts can have a synergistic effect of multiplying the toxicity many times beyond that of each part. Many inerts are on restricted use lists, but as part of a “registered” pesticide they are permitted. To be registered means only that they are registered and guarantees no safety or testing. The definition of “active” ingredient is that which is not inert. In order to protect industry profits, most inerts are proprietary, meaning that consumers do not have the right to know. The GW Bush administration is working hard at reducing our right to know.
  Under the present risk assessment regulatory scheme, industry is allowed to produce potentially damaging chemicals until absolute proof of human harm exists. Presently, chemicals are regulated by risk assessment, which dictates how many people it is acceptable to kill before a chemical is restricted or banned. Chemicals are innocent until proven guilty. According to the well-established scientific method, scientists can support a hypothesis, but never absolutely prove it. Therefore, industry’s demand of absolute proof that EDs can injure humans at extremely low levels is not possible. It is right that scientists observe the rules of scientific method in order to maintain standardization, but our policy makers should only be guided by it, not controlled by it.
  Policy makers must consider the consequences of not taking action protective of public health. Action is similar to inaction in that both are intentional decisions with somewhat predictable outcomes. A chemical should be considered guilty until proven innocent, putting the burden of proof on the manufacturer rather than on the public. Safety testing should be completely independent of the manufacturer.
  Since enough evidence of harm to humans, animals, and the environment already exists, many scientists have insisted that the “Precautionary Principle” be employed, which states: “When an activity raises threats to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken, even if some cause-and-effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context, the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof.” Key elements of the principle include taking precaution in the face of scientific uncertainty; exploring alternatives to possibly harmful actions; placing the burden of proof on proponents of an activity rather than on victims or potential victims of the activity; and using democratic processes to carry out and enforce the principle-including the public right to informed consent.
  To make a blanket statement, short paper, or even a book that would cover all that you need to do to avoid endocrine disruptors would be an arduous task. Purchase less, consume less, waste less. Unlearn the lessons taught to us by industry and just use less. Always question yourself before buying, “Do I really need this product?” If you really need it, then ask, “What can I use that’s less toxic?”
  Next, considering that our protective agencies are not what they claim to be, everyone must educate themselves on the environmental hazards that are right in their own homes. Industry prefers to keep us all ignorant of the harm caused by the many products we use. The products of concern are found in every area of our houses and properties. They range from cleaning products, paints and glues, lawn care products, and pet supplies to auto products, art supplies, cosmetics and foods. Especially vulnerable to these toxic products are the unborn, those in the womb, and those yet to come. Below is a list of things to do. Don’t be overwhelmed by it. Take it one step at a time.

• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
  Especially when pregnant! It can cause permanent damage to you and the unborn child.
• Don’t use lawn chemicals or any pesticides.
  Especially when pregnant! Don’t even think of being near them. Lawns are healthier without them.
• Don’t use makeup, hair sprays & coloring products or nail polish.
  Especially when pregnant! Enjoy your own body and not the image that the media says you should want.
• Avoid using strong chemicals, glues, paints, nail polish and remover, floor & carpet cleaners.
  Get rid of all those name brands and use earth friendly products sparingly. If you must use chemicals then wear industrial quality, gloves, eye protection and a mask with filters approved for each chemical being used.Once again … Definitely NOT when your pregnant!
• Don’t heat food or eat hot food in plastic containers, even the ones frozen dinners now come in. This includes Teflon coated cookware.
  Chemicals from the plastic can be ingested with the food and could cause great problems for the unborn and you.
• Purchase fresh organic produce, meats and milk free from rBGH
  rBGH is a hormone to increase milk production in cows. It causes mastitis requiring lots of antibiotics in cows that can be passed on to humans, which in turn, can create new incurable diseases. Buy produce at your local Farmers’ Market or join a buying club. Purchase local organic produce in season. Vegetarians have far fewer endocrine disruptors found in their blood than people that consume meat. This is because incinerators that are as near as your back yard or as far away as thousands of miles release dioxin into the air when they burn chlorine containing materials like PVC plastic or pesticides. The dioxin falls on the grass that cows and cattle eat and accumulates in their fat and milk. Because of their longer life, dioxin accumulation is more critical in milk cows and beef cattle than chickens or other animals. Being at the top of the food chain, humans accumulate even more dioxin in their blood than the animals they eat. Taking that one step further, infants are at an even higher plane of the food chain because they consume the milk of their mothers’. While this is a major health concern, recent studies have shown that it is still better to breast feed than any of the alternatives.
• Use fewer processed, prepackaged foods whenever possible.
  Eat more fresh food, you’ll get more nutritional value from your diet. And you’ll be sure of what’s in it!
• Avoid canned goods unless absolutely a must.
  The nutritional value is lower and some of the interior can coatings are toxic.
• Avoid products with hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated fats and oelestra (a synthetic fat substitute).
  While these types of fats and fat substitute are not currently thought to be EDs, they are found in snack foods or processed foods and can be bad for your health.
• Don’t stay in places that smell of chemicals.
  Get out quickly. Don’t wait to ask if the smell is safe. Probably the people around you know even less.
• In general, substitute natural products for synthetic products whenever possible.
  That’s not an easy task. I’ve tried it myself. Do it one step at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Maybe pick out one thing a month to switch over to a more natural product. Seek out the metal, wooden, ceramic and glass cook wear like your grandmother had. There are a lot of people that have been injured by synthetic chemicals during their production, use, disposa,l and/or by just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Protect our future generations by making it your business to be one of the well-informed people.