Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) increases the risk for diabetes and obesity, the Endocrine Society said in a scientific statement Monday. The Society also said that EDC exposure is associated with certain cancers, infertility and other disorders, NBC News reports.
EDCs reportedly disrupt cell growth and development by mimicking, or sometimes interfering with, the action of hormones. Unborn children, when exposed to such chemicals, face an even greater risk. Animal studies showed that exposure to small amounts of EDC before birth resulted in obesity. Other studies provided evidence that EDC exposure resulted in insulin resistance and too much insulin production, which could lead to type 2 diabetes.
"The evidence is more definitive than ever before - EDCs disrupt hormones in a manner that harms human health," Andrea C. Gore, professor and Vacek Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the task force that developed the statement, said in a press release. "Hundreds of studies are pointing to the same conclusion, whether they are long-term epidemiological studies in human, basic research in animals and cells, or research into groups of people with known occupational exposure to specific chemicals."
EDCs are found in common household items like plastics, food cans, DDT pesticides, PCBs, cosmetics and flame retardants. Almost every person has been exposed to EDCs.
The Society called for more research on the association between health and EDC exposure, as well as for specialists to develop ways to remove EDCs from products. It also recommended that regulations be put in place to test the effect of chemicals on health before allowing their use.
The Society said that the public should be informed about how to avoid EDC exposure.
"It is clear we need to take action to minimize further exposure," Gore said. "With more chemicals being introduced into the marketplace all the time, better safety testing is needed to identify new EDCs and ensure they are kept out of household goods."
The Society's Executive Summary to the Scientific Statement on EDCs was published in the Sept. 28 issue of the journal Endocrine Reviews.
