This is in contrast to the situation in adults where changes in steroid hormones often lead to activational changes that are transient. This is of particular concern for the developing organism, as it is sensitive to changes in the hormonal milieu, or drug or chemical exposure, which can result in organizational changes that are permanent ( Guillette et al.

In general, EDCs may disrupt the endocrine system by competing with endogenous steroid hormone binding to receptors and hormone transport proteins or by altering the metabolism or synthesis of endogenous hormones, eventually influencing recruitment of transcription factors and altering gene expression in cells ( Wetherill et al. The detection of EDCs in the environment, biota and humans is of concern due to their potential to interfere with the physiology of living organisms (see Oehlmann et al. Components used in plastics, such as bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and phthalates, are released from plastic products, and are also known as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) owing to their ability to modulate the endocrine system. Environmental concerns associated with plastic use are not only because of the amount of waste, but also the leaching of substances out of the plastic. Human body burdens of these chemicals are detected with high prevalence, and concentrations in young children, a group particularly sensitive to exogenous insults, are typically higher, indicating the need to decrease exposure to these compounds.ĭue to the high-volume generation of plastics and low production costs, consumers typically use many plastic items only once before discarding them. Finally, thyroid hormones are essential for normal neurological development and reproductive function. Concentrations of BPA in the foetal mouse within the range of unconjugated BPA levels observed in human foetal blood have produced effects in animal experiments. For example, the spectrum of effects following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities to the testicular dysgenesis syndrome in humans. Experimental investigations in animals indicate a wide variety of effects associated with exposure to these compounds, causing concern regarding potential risk to human health. PBDE and TBBPA have been shown to disrupt thyroid hormone homeostasis while PBDEs also exhibit anti-androgen action.

Phthalates function as anti-androgens while the main action attributed to BPA is oestrogen-like activity. In addition to their utility in plastics, an inadvertent characteristic of these chemicals is the ability to alter the endocrine system. Components used in plastics, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), are detected in humans.

R.C. ‘n’ P.W. by Julia First