Endocrine disrupters
6 Feb 2013

Are you at risk from endocrine disrupters?

1 mins to read
Just what are endocrine disruptors and why do we need to know about them? Kathryn Terrill explains.


Have you heard the term endocrine disrupters before? I have to say I’ve always found the term ‘endocrine disruptors’ somehow ominous, and almost as though they were characters from a sci-fi movie¬—something along the lines of, “Red alert captain, the endocrine disruptors have entered our territory.”

Yet, despite my trivialising what I feel is a strange term, it seems ‘endocrine disruptors’ have increasingly taken centre stage in the health risk arena.

What are they?
An endocrine disruptor is any substance that interferes with the natural production and function of elimination of hormones in our bodies. Hormones are important. Basically, their regular and balanced function are necessary to keep us healthy and alive.

The endocrine disruptor substance may be natural or synthetic, and often disrupts normal function at the site of hormone receptors (eg. oestrogen receptors, serotonin receptors and thyroid receptors, among others).

What effect do they have?
Scientists now believe that endocrine disrupting compounds may contribute to weight gain and reproductive, cardiovascular and thyroid health conditions.

Where are they?
Endocrine disruptors are found in our environment, food and consumer products.

Common endocrine disrupting chemicals are:

  • Synthetic chemicals used as industrial solvents/lubricants and their byproducts [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated
    biphenyls (PBBs), dioxins]
  • Plastics [bisphenol A(BPA)]
  • Plasticizers (phthalates)
  • Pesticides [methoxychlor,chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)]
  • Fungicides(vinclozolin)
  • Pharmaceutical agents [diethylstilbestrol (DES)]


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