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Chemicals likely in products found in many homes in the United States may be impacting your hormonal health.
The question is: How concerned should people be about endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as phthalates, BPA, bisphenol A and brominated flame retardants?
The scientific literature on EDCs is still growing, but suggests a link between exposure and health issues such as brain development, fertility, and puberty, says a researcher at the George Mason University School of Public Health in Fairfax. said Dr. Michael Bloom, professor of global and community health. Virginia.
And while there are still many questions researchers want to investigate regarding EDCs, organizations like the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that researches and advocates for safer products, are looking to help individuals avoid exposure. We encourage them to take action.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals affect hormones, which are chemicals that play an important role in transmitting messages throughout the body to regulate various functions in organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. Go to Cleveland Clinic.
Here’s what experts say about EDC and what you need to know about it.
Bloom said endocrine-disrupting chemicals are not produced by the human body, but they affect how hormones function. Hormones are essential for many biological processes in the body, including puberty, reproduction, and brain development.
Some of these chemicals mimic hormones produced by the body, such as estrogen and testosterone. Other EDCs affect hormone synthesis, resulting in more or less production of hormones in the body or changes in the way hormones are broken down, he added.
For example, phthalates are synthetic chemicals that manufacturers often use in hundreds of products, including food and beverage containers and wraps. According to , these EDCs interfere with testosterone production. Endocrine Society.
Brominated flame retardants are used in electronics, clothing and furniture and have been linked to abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland, which plays an important role in childhood development, the association said.
“Endocrine disruptor” Chemicals affect hormone transmission in some way,” Bloom said. “And hormonal communication is an important pathway for our brains to communicate with our tissues and for our tissues to communicate with each other, a daily function that keeps us running, hopefully with high efficiency.”
chronic exposure to Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist on the Environmental Working Group’s Healthy Living Team, added that substances that block or alter hormone activity can have serious consequences.
“Anything that affects hormones is very likely to affect other health outcomes as well,” she said.
grow up scientific literature Bloom added that the findings suggest that endocrine disruptors may be involved in conditions such as attention deficit disorder and impulse control disorders.
“Hormones play a major role in brain development and normal brain function, so exposure to these EDCs early in life can alter development,” Friedman says.
These chemicals are Trends in early puberty in girls“This is associated with increased risk of psychosocial problems, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast cancer,” said Dr. Natalie Shaw, head of the pediatric neuroendocrinology group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The study also shows the following concerns: insulin sensitivity and diabetes, obesity and fertilitysaid Bloom.
The problem with digging deeper into research studies is that EDCs and their negative effects on humans are difficult to study, he added.
Bloom said most of the evidence uses cellular models, where tissues and cells in dishes are exposed to high concentrations of chemicals, beyond what most people would be likely to come into contact with naturally. It is said that there is.
To understand the effects of more “biologically realistic” levels of exposure, researchers could examine urine samples for the presence of EDCs and compare their levels to various health markers. He said that there is a gender.
But the current scientific literature is controversial, Bloom said. some research While exposure to EDCs is a significant risk factor for poor health, other reports are contradictory that.
“We’re in a position where we’re like, ‘Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?'” he added.
Researchers, regulators, and individuals should ask themselves whether it’s worth making changes now in case studies find that EDCs need to be eliminated, or products for people at low risk of exposure to EDCs. Are you wondering if it’s worth the wait to avoid the cost and effort involved in replacing your car? Bloom said chemicals are to blame.
Freedman said it may be difficult to completely eliminate exposure to endocrine disruptors.
“The biggest problem with EDC is that it is so prevalent in the environment and in everything we use,” she added.
According to Bloom, skin and personal care products are a source of exposure for both children and adults, both in the chemical composition of the products themselves and in the plastic packaging they come in.
Pesticides used in agriculture and found on produce can contain endocrine disruptors, and groundwater can also be contaminated, Friedman added.
CNN has reached out to the National Pest Management Association and the Personal Care Products Council for comment.
“Believe it or not, it has been found in significant concentrations in household dust,” Bloom added.
She said the presence of dust is a particular concern for infants and toddlers, who spend a lot of time near the ground.
Bloom said many people of color are exposed to more endocrine disruptors. Some researchers speculate that it’s because of the higher concentrations of products marketed to them, such as hair care products, Bloom said.
“People who go about their normal lives, using their favorite personal care products, drinking water from the tap, and eating produce, may be exposed to very small amounts of EDCs in a variety of ways that accumulate over a lifetime. ” Friedman said.
Bloom said it can be difficult to tell which products may expose you to more endocrine disruptors just by looking at the label.
Many product components are proprietary, meaning they are protected by company ownership, so they are not always clearly labeled, he added.
“There are no clear labeling requirements, and the industry may change what it uses over time,” Bloom said.
This means a product tested two years ago may now be manufactured differently, introducing different exposure levels, he added.
“Research scientists and environmental health scientists are always trying to stay on top of the products being used in industry,” Bloom said.
An emailed statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said there are steps the agency is taking to protect consumers and further research is ongoing.
“EPA is taking steps to regulate these chemicals in the environment and is providing additional testing for chemicals, including pesticides, through the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program,” the statement said.
However, the prevalence of EDCs and lack of labeling clarity does not mean that nothing can be done.
Friedman recommends finding manageable changes you can make that fit your budget, priorities, and lifestyle. A good start, she says, is to gradually replace your personal care products one at a time as you use them up. Filtering EDCs from your water supply is also a manageable way to start, she added.
There are many trusted online databases available to the public to search for safer personal care products. SkinSafeProducts.comdeveloped by Mayo Clinic allergists and dermatologists. deep into the skin Bloom said from EWG.
It doesn’t review everything. Since Friedman has curly hair, she said she continues to use the same shampoo and conditioner, but finds products she doesn’t mind switching around and makes changes there.
EWG also has a tap water database where people can search for drinking water quality by postcode and use a water filtration guide to choose the system that’s right for them.
“It may not be so easy (for people) to change where they live, or even their water, environmental sources that are just part of their lives, such as the air they breathe and what they are exposed to at work.” etc.,” she said. “But I think personal care products are something that people have a lot of autonomy over and are buying within reason.”
