12C. Environmental Chemical Exposure: Endocrine System Effects and Clinical Health Implications

Focus Area: Pediatrics Every day, the United States alone uses or imports about 42 million pounds of synthetic chemicals. There are more than 84 000 compounds approved for commercial use in the United States, most of which have never been tested for toxicity. A 2011 policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledges that the large quantities of chemicals that enter commerce could be harmful to children's health and development. The contribution of many of these chemicals to human illnesses, such as cancer and asthma, as well as in hormone disruption, is now being studied in the scientific community with great interest and concern. Many studies now show increasing levels of common household chemicals in blood samples (bio-monitoring) collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as in breast milk and other bodily fluids. According to umbilical cord blood samples tested, nearly all babies in the United States are born with synthetic chemicals already in their bloodstreams. Endocrine-disrupting compounds are an intensely studied area in the scientific community. Some have been strongly linked to effects on hormone signaling and adverse developmental outcomes in children. They are associated with thyroid dysfunction, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. I believe that this topic is profoundly important to human health, particularly in this day and age.