[Pharmwaste] gender-bending chemical time bomb fear for boys' fertility

Tenace, Laurie Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us
Wed May 13 08:43:57 EDT 2009


" In repeated experiments, testosterone-disrupting chemicals found in
pesticides, drugs, plastics and household products created symptoms of TDS in
laboratory animals. Some of the experiments showed that the chemicals work in
combination - causing problems at doses where the individual chemicals should
be harmless."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1180957/Gender-bending-chemical-timeb
omb-fear-boys-fertility.html
lots of comments at the web site! 


Gender-bending chemical timebomb fear for boys' fertility
By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 12:01 AM on 13th May 2009

Chemicals in food, cosmetics and cleaning products are 'feminising' unborn
boys and raising their risk of cancer and infertility later in life, an
expert warns today. 
Professor Richard Sharpe, one of Britain's leading reproductive biologists,
says everyday substances are linked to soaring rates of birth defects and
testicular cancer, and to falling sperm counts. 
The government adviser's report published today is the most detailed yet into
the threat posed to baby boys by chemicals that block the action of the male
sex hormone testosterone, or mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen. 

Professor Sharpe says many could be harmless on their own - but warned that
their cumulative effect could be devastating for developing foetuses and
warned women trying for a child to avoid them. 

'You can't do anything about chemicals in the environment but you can control
what you expose a baby to through your lifestyle choices,' he said. 

'Because we don't know the complete list of chemicals that may be hormone
disrupters, and we don't know how they interact, we can't point a finger at
an individual chemical. 

'The message is to avoid them, just as you should avoid alcohol and drugs.' 

Doctors are concerned about rising levels of birth defects, with 7 per cent
of British boys born with partially descended testes and seven in 1000 with
malformed genitals. 

The latest estimates indicate that one in six men in the UK has a low sperm
count and will struggle to father a child. 

And the number of testicular cancer cases among men in their 20s and 30s has
been doubling every 25 years. 

Following an analysis of available evidence, Professor Sharpe concluded that
gender-bending chemicals are 'likely to account for a proportion' of birth
defects in baby boys - and the testicular cancer and fertility problems the
boys may suffer later in life. 

His report looked at studies into birth defects of boy's genitals, low sperm
counts and testicular cancer - a range of problems collectively called
Testicular Dysgenesis Syndrome or TDS. 

In repeated experiments, testosterone-disrupting chemicals found in
pesticides, drugs, plastics and household products created symptoms of TDS in
laboratory animals. Some of the experiments showed that the chemicals work in
combination - causing problems at doses where the individual chemicals should
be harmless. 
 
The evidence that the chemicals cause problems in humans was weaker, but
still showed a link between environmental chemicals and male fertility
problems, the report said. 

In one study, scientists looked at families moving from countries with a low
rate of testicular cancer to Denmark - which has one of the highest rates of
the disease in Europe. 

First-generation immigrants had the same level of cancer as their country of
origin. But their children - conceived and born in Denmark - had a similar
risk to Danes. That indicated something in the environment was to blame. 

Other studies have shown that mothers exposed to chemicals used in plastics,
flame retardants and pesticides are more likely to have sons who go on to
develop testicular cancer. 

Exposure to environmental chemicals slightly increases the risks of
undescended testes and hypospadia - malformed genitalia - in boys, the report
found. 

Professor Sharpe said TDS has its origins in the period between the eighth
and 12th week of pregnancy, when exposure to hormone-mimicking chemicals can
interfere with testosterone production in a foetus, preventing the sex organs
from developing normally. 

Chemicals shown to cause problems include pesticides such as DDT, fungicides
such as vinclozolin; a group of chemicals called PCBs used in electrical
circuits, paints, flame retardants and glues; and phthalates, which are used
to soften plastics. 

Elizabeth Salter Green of the charity CHEM Trust, which commissioned
Professor Sharpe's report, said: 'Chemicals that have been shown to act
together to affect male reproductive health should have their risks assessed
together. 
'Currently that is not the case, and unfortunately chemicals are looked at on
a individual basis. 
'Therefore Government assurances that exposures are too low to have any
effect just do not hold water because regulators do not take into account the
additive actions of hormone-disrupting chemicals.' 

She advised pregnant women to keep cosmetic use to a minimum, choose
unscented products, stop using perfume, avoid colouring hair and avoid DIY.

Laurie Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Waste Reduction Section
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Rd., MS 4555
Tallahassee FL 32399-2400
P: 850.245.8759
F: 850.245.8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

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