Evidence of "Hormone Disruptor" Chemical Threats Grows
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As Evidence of 'Hormone Disruptor' Chemical Threats Grows, Experts Call for Stricter Regulation:
A growing number of chemicals in pesticides, flame retardants, and certain plastics have been linked to widespread health problems including infertility in women and men, diabetes, and impaired brain development, a set of reviews of hundreds of studies concludes.
[...] Published online July 21 in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, the new reports focused on the health concerns and regulations to control "chemicals of concern," endocrine disruptors common in industrial and household goods. These include perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxins found in nonstick pans and waterproof clothing, and bisphenols, substances used in many plastics and can linings.
Exposure to certain chemicals found in industrial and household goods has been linked in new studies to obesity; to endometriosis, a painful and abnormal growth of tissue on the outside of the womb; and to polycystic ovary syndrome, a significant cause of infertility.
The recent reviews add 17 ties between certain medical conditions and endocrine disruptors to a list of 15 others already identified by a 2015 joint investigation led by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. For example, new findings suggest that PFAS, bisphenols, and certain pesticides may damage semen. In addition, the review identifies numerous new studies that link brain-related health concerns, such as IQ loss and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to flame retardants and chemicals found in certain pesticides.
Journal Reference:
Linda G Kahn, Claire Philippat, Shoji F Nakayama, et al. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: implications for human health, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology (DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30129-7)
Christopher D Kassotis, Laura N Vandenberg, Barbara A Demeneix, et al. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: economic, regulatory, and policy implications, The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology (DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30128-5)
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