This is a recent news article from Scientific American. It talks about the impact of human endocrine system caused by chemicals in the plastics called Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that people daily used or can easily access or get exposed to.
These EDCs can leach out of plastic water bottles or plastic containers and enter the human body causing damage to the endocrine system before entering the ecosystem.
By studying the effects of these chemicals on animals and lab-cultured cells, as well as human epidemiology, scientists have found that these EDCs can be linked to unhealthy humans. However, the pace of these research efforts is nowhere near the rate at which new chemical plastics are created and replaced. Of the more than 16,000 chemicals used in plastics, more than 1,000 are defined as EDCs, but only a small percentage are regulated, and the rest are still used in the production of plastics.
So what exactly do EDCs entail? Many familiar chemical compounds belong to the EDCs family. For example, bisphenol, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "permanent" chemicals, and phthalates, all belong to the EDCs family.
Biphenol A
Phthalates
If use their common names, they may be very familiar; phthalates are known as plasticizers to increase the flexibility and durability of plastics, while PFOS has non-stick properties. It is used in snack wrappers to prevent grease. Last month, the U.S. Food Safety Administration announced canceling the use of all packing bags containing PFOS. Bisphenol, on the other hand, is a chemical compound widely used in the lining of beverage bottles, as well as in some polyester fibers used to make clothing. Most EDCs are fat-soluble, and EDCs in clothing can dissolve in sweat and oil secreted by the human body, which can be absorbed by the human skin and cause harm to the human body. EDCs in food wrappers are more likely to dissolve in the oils and fats of food and be consumed by people. More frighteningly, the structure of these EDCs is similar to that of many human hormones, such as thyroid hormones, testosterone, estrogen, etc. When EDCs enter the body, they can cause disruption of the endocrine system.
So how does EDC cause endocrine system disruption? The body's endocrine system is directed by the brain to cause the endocrine glands to release precise amounts of specific hormones at precise times to reach receptors throughout the body. This is the mystery of the human body. However, EDC disrupts this normal function in the form of mimicry, blocking (similar to the function of inhibitors).
Various activities of the human body are precisely regulated by the endocrine system, and when the wrong signals are transmitted, a series of serious and wide-ranging effects are likely to be triggered. Prof. Fernandez's experiments have shown that bisphenol can have an effect on fertility in rats, with rats exposed to bisphenol developing ovarian cysts. It was also found that bisphenol, which is similar in structure to oestrogen, can cause human breast cells to proliferate. This in turn increases the probability of getting breast cancer. Phthalate intake, on the other hand, has been found linked to insulin secretion and getting diabetes. Not only that, but BPA intake has been found to be passed on to infants through the mother-infant relationship, breastfeeding. Causing damage to infants.
Reinecke, for his part, argues that moving beyond regulation on a chemical-by-chemical basis is necessary. She said that countries need to start imposing bulk bans on structurally similar chemicals in order to accelerate restrictions on chemicals to protect human health. While Seewoo said there needs to be rigorous safety testing of chemicals in plastics before they are introduced into consumer products. But the problem is not one that individuals can change, though people can still take steps to minimize exposure. For example, don't heat food in plastic, avoid buying food that is served in plastic, and so on.
Resources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-chemicals-in-plastics-impact-your-endocrine-system/
https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/edcs
Your title asks an important question (although "How Do Chemicals..." would be better than "What Do Chemicals..."). The Scientific American article is a good overview of the problem and a good choice to post about. I like your introduction of the structures of the bisphenol and phthalate structures. You might have added the structure of something like estrogen so you could see the similarity with the EDCs. You can see how the EDCs might bind competitively with something like estrogen. The PFAs, however, resemble fatty acids more and the mechanism for their biological activity is less clear. Your summary of the article is concise and effective. You note the various experts cited by the author and they seem like they are legitimate. One expert advocates banning or severely restricting whole classes of compounds. It would be interesting to hear what someone from industry or from a regulatory agency might say about that, but the author's experts are associated with universities or advocacy groups. You could have noted that there does seem to be a news item that might have been the occasion for the article. Apparently the FDA has phased out PFAs used in grease proofing food packaging as of last month. Overall an effective summary of an interesting article on an important subject with extensive scientific and chemical implications.
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