ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS; MYTHS & FACTS

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Forensic Medicine & Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Recognition that some environmental chemicals pose the ability to interact with hormone receptors and mimic their activity has been regarded as one of the most significant developments in both endocrinal and toxicological research of the last century. Objective: Despite the myths related to the actions, hazards and effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), this review article briefly throws light on the evidence- based facts concerning such chemicals. An EDC is a chemical that alters the hormonal and homeostatic systems that enable the organism to communicate with and respond to its environment. Default drinking, eating and other every-day events can carry the risk of disrupting our endocrine homeostasis. A challenge to the field of endocrine disruption is that these substances are diverse and may not appear to share any structural similarity other than usually being small molecular mass (<1000 Daltons) compounds. Moreover, it is not surprising that a variety of mechanisms are used by EDCs to influence the endocrine system, these include all stages of hormonal life cycle. Conclusion: This review has tried to provide insights into the current state of the scientific evidence on the ubiquity, chemical diversity, variability & complexity of mechanisms and transgenerational effects of EDCs. Of course, the breadth of this topic precludes comprehensive coverage of all EDCs which, in turn, highlights the need for further epidemiological research on these classes of environmental chemicals

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