A new report published by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) has revived the debate on the dangers of endocrine disruptors chemical. While the bisphenol A has been banned from food containers, other chemicals threaten our health.
Cancers and developmental disorders
This study entitled “State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals” is the most comprehensive to date on the subject. The chemicals involved can cause many disorders: breast cancer, prostate, thyroid but also cryptorchidism (absence of one or both testes in the scrotum) in young boys or developmental disorders of the nervous system and hyperactivity in children.
These disruptors are found in pesticides, electronics, cosmetics and some food additives. “Humans can be exposed to them by ingesting food, dust and water or inhaling gases and particles in the air, as well as through skin contact,” says the WHO .
New studies to come
“Research, which has made tremendous progress over the past decade, has shown that endocrine disruption can be much more extensive and much more complex than previously thought,” says Professor Åke Bergman of Stockholm University. , editor of the report.
“We urgently need to conduct more research to better understand the health and environmental consequences of endocrine disruptors, reports Dr Maria Neira, Director of the WHO Department of Public Health and Environment. WHO will work with partners to define research priorities to study the links between chemical endocrine disruptors and health and thus mitigate the risks. It is incumbent on all of us to protect future generations “.
