Endocrine Disruptors
Background
Endocrine disruptors are “any chemical that mimics or interferes with the normal actions of hormones in the body” (Rogers 2016: 1). The endocrine consists of glands that secrete hormones to the blood and disruptors are environmental compounds that “alter and/or disrupt normal endocrine hormone signaling at the receptor or signal transduction level” (Skinner 2016: 68). This means that they are able to interfere with synthesis, secretion, transport, metabolism, and binding of normal endocrine substances (Wang 2014: 6847). Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were the first endocrine disruptors to be studied and since then the number of known endocrine disruptors has expanded (Skinner 2016: 68). Many endocrine disruptors mimic male steroid hormones and interfere with thyroid hormones (Rogers). Endocrine disruptors are related to infertility, sexual underdevelopment, altered or reduced sexual behavior, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and altered thyroid function (Vogel 2004: 277). Another reason endocrine disruptors are a problem is that they can be transmitted through the germ line and passed to subsequent generation (Skinner 2016: 68).
Endocrine disruptors are prevalent in our society because they are found in many consumer products all over the globe such as pesticides, plastic, cosmetics, and industrial solvents (Britannica Academic 2016). Other products they are in include lotions, perfumes, and shampoos. They have been found widely distributed in the environment since the 1960s. Examples of common endocrine disruptors include bisphenol A, dioxin, lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and styrenes (Rogers).
Topical Context
Chemicals and man-made pollutants that are present in the environment are also capable of disturbing normal endocrine function in many species (Wang 2014: 6847). A study in China was done to determine which endocrine disruptors were contaminating water sources. 4-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, estradiol and estriol were of most interest to researchers due to their, “extended use in several consumer and personal-care products and their toxicological and physico-chemical properties” (Wang 2014: 6847).Estradiol and estriol are estrogen hormones. Estradiol is the most common estrogen hormone in nonpregnant women and estriol is the most common estrogen hormone in pregnant women and is produced in large amounts by the placenta (WebMD 2005). These compounds have been detected in river water, sewage sludge, and fish tissue. Due to their widespread use, a detection method for these compounds in wastewater was needed. In a study to determine the present of these endocrine disruptors in China, a technique called gas chromatography-flame ionization detector was used. With this technique, the target compounds are extracted from a sample of water. (Wang 2014: 6847). Water samples were taken from four man-made rivers in Shijiazhuang, China and 4-nonylphenol, estradiol and estriol were found in low concentration and bisphenol A was detected in all samples (Wang 2014: 6852). Because these endocrine disruptors contaminated water sources, multiple people in China have felt the effects of these disruptors on their hormones. Estradiol and estriol, specifically, have caused testicular cancer and infertility in men who were in taking these disruptors via the drinking water. The contamination of water is a huge problem because it has allowed these endocrine disruptors to affect so many people. Pure water sources are important for a healthy society. This study also acknowledged that gas chromatography-flame ionization detector technique could be used as a way to surveillance water quality (Wang 2015: 6852).
Perspectives
In 1966, Congress mandated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a program to test pesticides, commercial chemicals, and environmental contaminants for endocrine-disrupting effects and then to regulate those chemicals (Vogel 2004: 277). The Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program(EDSP) was created to protect public health from endocrine disruptors. The issue is that current governmental policy favors the industries that make millions of dollars in profit by selling products that contain endocrine disruptors. Even though Congress passed a mandate to protect public health, this did not change regulation of these dangerous products due to burden of proof on the program as well as financial reasons (Vogel 2004: 278). The National Research Council explained this issue by stating that there is a “greater burden of proof on those who would restrict than those who would pursue a hazardous activity” meaning that it is the responsibility of EDSP to prove these products are unsafe and to fight for a change in regulation. Science also benefits financially from these corporate industries and this has stopped them from seeing the goal: public health. Another issue is that thorough testing for all potential endocrine disruptors is costly and takes time. This means that the odds of true regulation for these corporate industries will probably not happen for some time (Vogel 2004: 285).
How This Relates to Politics of Health
One of the main relations to politics of health that I see with endocrine disruptors is its ability to infect a large amount of people. These disruptors are found in many household products and beauty supplies. As a result, they have been contaminating our environment and water supplies. When a contaminant gets into the water source then no one in the society is safe from it and it, therefore, is able to infect many people. This relates to the Flint Michigan lead poisoning catastrophe. Lead is an endocrine disruptor and this crisis poisoned hundreds of children who were drinking from contaminated tap water (Rosner 2016: 756). As previously stated, transmission through water sources is one of the main problems with endocrine disruptors as it can cause an entire community to be affected. This also relates to infrastructure because in order to maintain a safe water supply a strong infrastructure that is able to keep our water free from contaminants is necessary. Also, policies that regulate products that could contain endocrine disruptors could help eliminate this health hazard as well as prevent future ones. Our infrastructure is clouded by money and this has made it hard to regulate these products.
References
“Estrogens” WebMD (2005): 1. accessed April 1 2017. http://www.webmd.com/women/estrogens#1.
Rogers, Kara. “Endocrine Disruptor”. Britannica Academic (2016): 1, accessed March 1, 2017. http://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/endocrine- disruptor/623998.
Rosner, David. “A Lead Poisoning Crisis Enters Its Second Century.” Health Affairs 35.5 (May 2016): 756, accessed March 1, 2017. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/35/5/756.abstract.
Skinner, Michael. “Endocrine Disruptors in 2015: Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance.” Nature Reviews. Endocrinology 12.2 (Feb 2016): 68-70, accessed March 1, 2017. https://search-proquest- com.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/docview/1786677934/44944A4D61A64F ACPQ/1?accountid=14816.
Vogel, Jason. “Tunnel Vision: The regulation of endocrine disruptors.” Policy Sciences 37.3 (Dec 2004): 277-285, accessed March 1, 2017. https://search-proquest- com.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/docview/221248992/35FA2CC19552454.
Wang, Bo, Wang, Xiaolin. “Simultaneous Determination of Environmental Endocrine Disruptors in Environmental Water by Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector.” Asian Journal of Chemistry 26.20 (2014): 6849-6852, accessed March 1, 2017. https://search-proquest- com.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/docview/1709449697/C85B9CE510874A F0PQ/2?accountid=14816.
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