What are endocrine disruptors and how do they effect us?
An endocrine disruptor is a synthetic chemical that when absorbed into the body either mimics or blocks hormones and disrupts the body’s normal functions. This disruption can happen through altering normal hormone levels, halting or stimulating the production of hormones, or changing the way hormones travel through the body, thus affecting the functions that these hormones control. Chemicals that are known human endocrine disruptors include diethylstilbesterol (the drug DES), dioxin, PCBs, DDT, and some other pesticides. Many chemicals, particularly pesticides and plasticizers, are suspected endocrine disruptors based on limited animal studies. Researchers in Japan have discovered that endocrine disrupters not only delay the development of the nervous system and cognitive functions of mammals, but also cause abnormal behavior. Chemicals that disturb the endocrine system of humans and other animals are known to be capable of reducing fertility, creating birth defects and/or affecting th
