What are Endocrine Disrupters?
Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that affect the endocrine system and prevent hormones from performing their usual functions in the body. In humans, as in animals, hormones play an important role in communications; they affect mood and memory, reproduction and development, and virtually any other biological process you can name.
Exposure to endocrine disrupters during critical stages of development can result in permanent effects on overall health, intelligence, and the ability to reproduce. Hormone disrupters are suspected of causing cancer, birth defects, and immune problems. Even incredibly tiny concentrations can interfere with reproduction.
Bisphenol-A (BPA)
BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical considered to be potentially harmful to human health and the environment.
BPA is used as a plastic coating for children's teeth to prevent cavities, as a coating in metal cans to prevent the metal from contact with food contents, as the plastic in food containers, refrigerator shelving, baby bottles, water bottles, returnable containers for juice, milk and water, micro-wave ovenware and eating utensils. Scratched and worn polycarbonate feeding bottles are known to leach this chemical into liquids.
10 Everyday Pollution Solutions
(see the Environmental Working Group link for explanations of each)
- Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick.
- To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. (Bisphenol A)
- Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit grown with minimal pesticides.
- Use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid.
- Seal outdoor wooden structures (arsenic).
- Leave your shoes at the door. This minimizes distribution of dust-bound pollutants.
- Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance as well as antibacterial soaps.
- Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. (Chemical flame retardant PBDE)
- Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish.
- Filter your water for drinking and cooking.
DON’T FLUSH!
Wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are generally not designed to treat pharmaceutical waste. Dissolve unwanted medications in water and mix with kitty litter or sawdust (or any material that absorbs the dissolved medication and makes it less appealing for pets or children to eat), then place in a sealed plastic bag BEFORE tossing in the trash.
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