Introduction to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

When humans are tested for the presence of EDCs in their
blood, fat, urine, and other tissues, the results consistently
demonstrate a variety of EDCs in all individuals
worldwide.
Not surprisingly, chemical contamination of the environment has been proven to
affect humans and further discussion of this will be provided below. But the most
direct evidence for cause and effect came from several large-scale disasters in
which humans were exposed to varying amounts of chemicals, including both high
levels, which were acutely toxic, and lower levels, which have now been shown to
cause more chronic, subtle, and long-lasting effects. One example is the explosion
of a chemical manufacturing plant in Seveso, Italy, that exposed residents to high
levels of dioxins. Two more tragic exposure examples are Yusho in Japan (PCBs),
and Yucheng in Taiwan (polychlorinated dibenzofurans) in which contaminated
cooking oil caused mass poisoning. Of recent concern is the poisoning of schoolchildren
in India in July 2013 through oil contaminated with the organophosphate
pesticide monocrotophos, which resulted in 23 deaths. The long-term endocrinedisrupting
effects of monocrotophos remain to be seen, although there is evidence
of estrogenicity from studies on mice and fish (8, 9). Another common route of
human exposure is in agriculture with the routine seasonal spraying of crops with
pesticides. This established practice can create a body burden that affects exposed
workers, nearby residents, consumers of the food, and even future generations, as
described below.
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