I posted an article several years ago about the increase in hermaphrodite polar bears, which researchers thought related to the increased concentration of estrogenic chemicals. 'So what?' This:
http://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2009/11/chemicals-in-everyday-products-turning.html?ecd=wnl_day_111409 "A new report from the Danish Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), highlights the critical risks facing toddlers from gender bending chemicals in everyday products. Chemicals like phthalates (found in PVC and fragrances), parabens (found in lotions and sunscreens), and pesticides are increasingly being linked to hormone disruption - and two year olds have more in their blood than any previous generations. "...Today's boys have less sperm. Sperm counts are falling so fast that young men are about half as fertile as their fathers... "...Fewer boys are being born. According to coverage of the report in the Telegraph, "A Canadian Indian community living on ancestral lands at the eastern tip of Lake Huron, hemmed in by one of the biggest agglomerations of chemical factories on earth, gives birth to twice as many girls as boys. It's the same around Seveso in Italy, contaminated with dioxins from a notorious accident in the 1970s, and among Russian pesticide workers. And there's more evidence from places as far apart as Israel and Taiwan, Brazil and the Arctic." "Boys' unmentionables are getting smaller. Scientists at the University of Rochester in New York discovered that boys born to women exposed to phthalates had smaller penises and other feminization of the genitals..." "... What's new about this report is the emphasis on "chemical cocktails" - or the fact that these chemicals mixed together are far worse than they are alone..." This is a 2006 technical article from The Endocrine Society(NIH sponsored): http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/147/6/s25 "...A VARIETY OF structurally diverse natural and synthetic chemicals, classified as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), have been reported to interfere with the endocrine system and ultimately disturb the normal function of tissues and organs, particularly those of the reproductive tract. Given their physicochemical differences and distinct biological effects, it is not surprising that a variety of mechanisms are used by EDCs to influence the endocrine system. Advances in our understanding of these mechanisms have been aided by increased public interest in the health effects of EDCs and the development of new tools and models for studying these compounds. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), genistein (Gen), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP), and methoxyacetic acid (MAA) are four compounds (Fig. 1) that are discussed here in an effort to illustrate some of the unique mechanisms of action used by EDCs to modulate endocrine system function..." "...Phthalate esters are used extensively as plasticizers and stabilizers in a variety of plastics and consumer goods. Exposure to phthalates through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption occurs throughout life (51). Select phthalate esters, including DBP, adversely affect the male rat reproductive tract after either prenatal or postnatal exposure. These adverse reproductive tract effects, which include disrupted epididymal development, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, multinucleated gonocytes, and reduced fertility, are a result of the antiandrogenic effects of some phthalate esters (52). Interestingly, the reproductive tract abnormalities present in DBP-exposed rats are similar to those that occur in humans with testicular dysgenesis syndrome, which is believed to result from altered fetal development as a result of genetic mutations and/or pharmacological or environmental disruptions (53). Given the widespread use of phthalate esters, a potential role for DBP in testicular dysgenesis is plausible (51, 55). Humans are exposed to more DBP than any other phthalate ester, with maximal DBP exposure reaching 113 µg/kg·d (56, 57). Interestingly, these same studies showed that women of childbearing age have the highest estimated DBP exposures. However, these levels are considerably lower than the minimal reported dose of DBP necessary to alter male reproductive tract development of more than 50 mg/kg·d (52)..." "...MAA is the major metabolite of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), an industrial solvent commonly used in varnishes, paints, dyes, and fuel additives (65). Exposure to EGME and MAA results in toxic reproductive effects in both animals and humans (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71). Occupational exposure to both EGME and MAA has been associated with subfertility, spontaneous abortion, and reduced sperm counts (70, 72, 73, 74). The toxic effects of MAA have prompted investigations into the cellular and molecular actions of MAA that have uncovered unique actions for an EDC..." "...DES, Gen, DBP, and MAA are four compounds described herein that illustrate the diverse biological effects and mechanisms of action used by EDCs to modulate endocrine system function. Studies on these compounds show that EDCs can act via receptor-mediated and/or non-receptor-mediated mechanisms to influence endocrine system function. The observation that EDCs can modulate the endocrine system in a receptor-independent manner has required investigators to reassess the criteria for classifying a compound as an EDC. The varied and sometimes complex mechanisms of action of EDCs, coupled with the physical and chemical diversity among members of the EDC family, suggest there may be numerous additional mechanisms used by EDCs that have yet to be uncovered. Future progress in identifying and characterizing EDCs will require an appreciation for their diverse mechanisms of action and will likely depend on the development of new screening methods and experimental models that account for this diversity." Just as research has shown that even minute amounts of lead _do_ affect neurological development/function, I think we will find that miniscule quantities of multiple organic compounds adversely affect humans in numerous ways. Debbi Mother Nature Is Really Pissed Off Maru _______________________________________________ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
