Endocrine Disruptors are Putting Men’s Health at Risk in Rapid Ways
Get ready to make a big, ol’ “ugh” noise because some rather disturbing information has come to light. A recent report titled “The Cost on Inaction,” published by the Nordic Council of Ministers found some rather wacky (code word for “unpleasant”) trends observed in Denmark’s society. The report was created to help push the regulation of endocrine disruptors. These chemicals act like human hormones, and affect human growth and sexuality, among other things.
TreeHugger states the report found that, “the rate at which boys are born with one or both testicles missing from the scrotum has increased from 2 percent to 9 percent in the past 50 years in Denmark.” The report explains that the study is quite telling – even though it has some major limitations – because it reported on studies of recent immigrants.
The studies found that the first generation of immigrants in the country had reproductive health risks similar to risks that occurred in their “country of origin.” The second generation of male immigrants, though, had risks that were similar to the rates that were occurring in the “new” country. “Such rapid changes cannot be explained by pre-existing genetic conditions, but look like influences of environmental conditions,” TreeHugger reports.
While the report’s numbers are a bit woozy (the report indicated “high ‘intangible’ costs” as the reason why regulations should be pushed), and overall, the report had issues when proving “causality,” the trends it touches on are still notable.
While, true, there needs to be years and years of research done to truly show the negative effects of endocrine disruptors, the trends the study described can’t be ignored.
So, what are the “five suspected endocrine disruptors” that are commonly used in products?
TreeHugger lists:
Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)
Triclosan
Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
I think all of our readers know that it’s best to avoid these chemicals all together for personal health, but also to show product makers that we, the consumers, just aren’t having it – we want better products without those chemicals. And at the very least, we’d like to see some clear labeling that indicates the above chemicals are in a product.
Rest assured, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more information, numbers and statistics that contain more information about how these chemicals affect human health.
Related on Organic Authority
Endocrine Disruptor Triclosan Found in 50 Percent of Newborns
Toxic Endocrine Disruptors are Probably in Your Wine
From BPA to Glyphosate: What Are the Risks of Endocrine Disruptors?
Image: nevil zaveri
