Chemicals in plastic may pose cancer risk
May 26th, 2010 - 3:15 pm ICT by ANILondon, May 26 (ANI): Scientists have described the cancer-causing effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which have hormone-like effects in the body.
The researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine said that although the health-threatening effects are known to a vast extent, more complex strategies for studying how these chemicals affect health are required.
“The strength and breadth of existing research on the negative effects of EDCs, including bisphenol A, warrants immediate action to reduce EDC exposure, particularly among the developing fetus and women of reproductive age,” said author Carlos Sonnenschein, MD, professor in the department of anatomy and cellular biology at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM).
Experts say that studies in rodents show that EDCs can cause harm if exposure happens during organ formation as opposed to exposures during adulthood.
“The evidence indicates that exposure to BPA and other EDCs may contribute to diseases that manifest during adult life, such as increased cancer rates in the industrialized world. These chemicals have also been linked to obesity, altered behavior, and infertility,” said author Ana Soto, MD, professor in the department of anatomy and cellular biology at TUSM.
BPA, which is found in plastic bottles, reusable food containers, and food cans, is ubiquitous in industrialized nations and is linked to cancer.
“EDCs act additively and their effects are dependent upon exposure and context, making them inherently complex to study. New mathematical modeling tools and computer simulations will provide a more precise understanding of how these chemicals interact with each other and within the body at different stages of life,” said Sonnenschein.
The article is published online on May 25 in Nature Reviews Endocrinology. (ANI)
- BPA exposure may lead fertility problems in female offspring - Dec 02, 2010
- Prenatal exposure to chemical in plastic linked to wheezing in kids - May 02, 2011
- Exposure to low doses of BPA alters mice ovaries - Aug 26, 2010
- Prenatal exposure to BPA may raise breast cancer risk - May 29, 2010
- Potency wrecking compound linked to heart disease - Feb 24, 2012
- Plastics chemical 'can damage egg quality in women' - Dec 16, 2010
- Exposure to toxic chemical linked to wheezing in kids - May 02, 2011
- Prenatal exposure to plastic chemical linked to breast cancer - May 22, 2010
- BPA exposure may cause permanent fertility defects - Mar 09, 2010
- Toxic chemicals found in pregnant women: US study - Jan 15, 2011
- Early-life exposure to BPA may harm testis function in adulthood - Jun 22, 2010
- Human exposure to plastics chemical much higher than previously thought - Sep 21, 2010
- Cash receipts from McDonald's, KFC 'harmful to your health' - Jul 28, 2010
- Being to clean could make you prone to more allergies - Nov 29, 2010
- Exposure to plastics chemical linked to reduced semen quality - Oct 28, 2010
Tags: adult life, bpa, cancer rates, cancer risk, cellular biology, computer simulations, edcs, endocrine disrupting chemicals, existing research, food cans, food containers, md professor, modeling tools, nature reviews, organ formation, plastic bottles, school of medicine, sonnenschein, tufts university school, tufts university school of medicine