1 March 2013 — A joint report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and
the World Health Organization (WHO) entitled, “State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – 2012” was released on February 19, 2013.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) leach from numerous types of plastic, and are now present throughout the environment, including in oceans and the air.
The report is the most comprehensive overview of research on endocrine disrupting chemicals to date, and highlights associations between such hormone disrupting chemicals and serious health problems – for example, the potential for such synthetic chemicals to contribute to the development of non-descended testes in young males, breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, developmental effects on the nervous system in children, attention deficit /hyperactivity in children and thyroid cancer.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your exposure to EDC’s in everyday life, Environmental Defence provides handy Tips and Guides on how to avoid these synthetic chemicals that are all around us.
The study makes key recommendations to improve global knowledge of, and action on, EDC’s:
- Testing: known EDCs are only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and more comprehensive testing methods are required to identify other possible endocrine disruptors, their sources, and routes of exposure
- Research: more scientific evidence is needed to identify the effects of mixtures of EDCs on humans and wildlife (mainly from industrial by-products) to which humans and wildlife are increasingly exposed.
- Reporting: many sources of EDCs are not known because of insufficient reporting and information on chemicals in products, materials and goods.
- Collaboration: more data sharing between scientists and between countries can fill gaps in data, primarily in developing countries and emerging economies.
As knowledge and awareness about the dangers of these chemicals grows, so also does the pressure on governments and EDC manufacturers – many of which are plastic companies – to stop production of these chemicals and ban their use in consumer products.