Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere

with the body's endocrine system.

What are endocrine disruptors?
They cause adverse developmental, reproductive,
neurological, and immune effects in both humans
and wildlife.
A wide range of substances, both natural and man-
made, are thought to cause endocrine disruption.
They may be found in many everyday products.

We are exposed to endocrine

disruptors in our daily lives. In the
environment, endocrine disrupting
Exposure chemicals are highly persistent and
slow to degrade making them
potentially hazardous over an
extended period of time.

Mimic or partly mimic naturally occurring hormones

in the body like estrogens, androgens, and thyroid
hormones, potentially producing overstimulation.
Middle image: Middle, hormone mimic: might
How do they work? overstimulate the body, for example 8 year old girl
has unneeded estrogen hormone produced and so
her body will go through changes earlier in her life
as her hormone levels will be high. Example,
growing chest, menstrual cycle.

Bind to a receptor within a cell and block the

endogenous hormone from binding. The normal signal
then fails to occur and the body fails to respond
properly. Examples of chemicals that block or antagonize
How do they work? hormones are anti-estrogens and anti-androgens.
Last image: Opposite of the hormone mimic, it will not
permit, for example, estrogen hormone to be produced
and it can be harmful to the organism when that
hormone is needed.

Interfere or block the way natural

hormones or their receptors are
How do they work? made or controlled, for example,
by altering their metabolism in the
liver.

History of endocrine disruptors
The process of learning about the endocrine system is an
evolving process that began decades ago.
From late 1950s to the 1970s: various scientists in
particular Roy Hertz and Rachel Carson, introduced
endocrine disruptors to the world of science - they set
the stage for the modern environmental movement.
But it was only in 1991, that a consensus that
environmental chemicals could interfere with the
endocrine system was made.

Mammals: exposure to organochlorines has adversely affected Baltic

seals' reproductive and immune systems, causing large population
declines.
Birds: Eggshell thinning and altered sex organ development have
been observed in birds of prey exposed to the pesticide DDT,
Effect on Animals resulting in severe population declines.
Reptiles: A pesticide spill in Lake Apopka (Florida, USA) provides a
well-publicised example of potential endocrine disrupting chemical
effects on the decrease in alligator numbers. The alligators had a
variety of sex organ and other developmental abnormalities that were
caused by this release of chemicals.

Fish: There is extensive evidence that chemicals

found in the waste outflows from pulp and paper
mills and sewage treatment plants can affect
reproduction and development in fish.
Effect on Animals Invertebrates: Exposure to tributyltin, a chemical
used in antifouling paints, resulted in the females of
certain marine organisms, develop male sex organs
when exposed to TBT. Which resulted in the decline
of their population.

Reduction in male fertility and declines in the numbers of males

born.
Example: Sperm quality: A number of studies report a decline
(since the 1930s) in sperm quality - i.e. sperm count, proportion
of normal sperm, semen volume.
Effect on Humans Abnormalities in male reproductive organs.
Example: Increased numbers of birth defects in male sex
organs have been reported. Such as, the abnormality
cryptorchidism, a condition in which the testes remain inside
the abdominal area instead of dropping down, and
hypospadias, is another abnormality.

Female reproductive health issues, including fertility problems,

early puberty, and early reproductive senescence.
There is evidence from population studies that the age at
which puberty normally occurs is becoming younger, and this
can very probably be cause by diet and the endocrine
Effect on Humans disruptors present in the body.
Increases in mammary, ovarian, prostate, breast, endometrial,
testicular, and thyroid cancers.
The occurrence of certain cancers at hormonally sensitive sites
in the body has been increasing over time in many
industrialised countries.
 Increases in immune and autoimmune diseases, and
some neurodegenerative diseases.
Exposure to certain endocrine disrupting chemicals
- particularly before birth - can harm the
Effect on Humans development of the nervous system,
neuroendocrine function, and behaviour. Some of
these effects appear to result from alterations in
thyroid function or in the activity of the chemicals
which carry messages between nerve cells.

1. Personal Care Products

Shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, cosmetics, and other personal
care products often contain endocrine disruptors, including
phthalates. Phthalates are a group of "gender-bending" chemicals
causing males of many species to become more female.

Sources
"Major loopholes in federal law allow the... cosmetics industry to put
unlimited amounts of phthalates into many personal care products
with no required testing, no required monitoring of health effects, and
no required labeling."
Triclosan, can even be found in certain brands of toothpaste.
Switching to natural and/or homemade personal care products will
help you avoid such exposures.

2. Drinking Water
Your drinking water may be contaminated with atrazine, arsenic, and
perchlorate, all of which may disrupt your endocrine system. Filtering your
water, both at your tap and your shower/bath, using a high-quality water
filtration system can help you.
3. Canned Foods
Sources BPA coats about 75 percent of cans in North America, which means if you eat
canned foods, it's likely a major source of BPA exposure for you. Even BPA-free
cans may not be safe, as they're often coated with a similar chemical known as
BPS. Ideally, buy products that come in glass bottles and jars rather than
plastic or cans.
Health concerns originating from BPA range from brain damage, to increased
aggressiveness, and risk of obesity.

4. Conventionally Grown Produce & CAFO Meat, Poultry & Dairy Products.
Pesticides, herbicides, and industrial runoff may coat your conventionally
grown fruits and vegetables in endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Animals raised
on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) also typically contain
antibiotics and other chemicals.
Buy and eat organic and free range products raised on small, local farms to
Sources reduce your exposure.
5. High-Mercury Fish
Fish contaminated with high levels of mercury and other heavy metals are a
problem. An example, is tuna and mackerel. Farmed fish (the "CAFOS of the
sea") also tend to be higher in contaminants and are better off avoided. When
eating seafood, smaller fish like sardines, anchovies, and herring tend to be low
in contaminants and high in omega-3 fats.

6. Kitchen Products
The plastic containers may contain BPA or other chemicals that
can leach into your food, especially if the plastic is heated.
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances are used to create non-
stick, stain-resistant, and water-repellent surfaces are toxic
Sources both in your body and in the environment.
When heated, non-stick cookware releases perfluorooctanoic
acid which is linked to thyroid disease, infertility, and
developmental and reproductive problems. Healthier options
include ceramic and enameled cast iron cookware, as they
won't release any harmful chemicals into your home.
 7. Cleaning Products
Commercial solutions used to clean your floors, toilets, oven, windows etc.
contain industrial chemicals. For instance, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a
common ingredient in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners, is banned
in Europe and known to be a potent endocrine disrupter, causing male fish to
transform into females.
Sources 8. Cash Register Receipts
Thermal paper has a coating that turns black when heat is applied when
printing. It contains BPA.
Holding the paper for just five seconds was enough to transfer BPA onto a
person's skin, and the amount of BPA transferred increased by about 10 times if
the fingers were wet or greasy.
So, seek to limit or avoid carrying receipts in your wallet or purse.