What is an endocrine disrupter?
There are chemical substances, sometimes called environmental estrogens, both from natural sources and man made, that if present in the body at the right concentration and at the right time, can adversely effect hormone balance or disrupt normal function in the organs that hormones regulate (modulate?). By EPA s working definition, endocrine disruptors “interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell metabolism), reproduction, development, and/or behavior.” Many endocrine disruptors are thought to mimic hormones. They have chemical properties similar to hormones that allows binding to hormone specific receptors on the cells of target organs. However, endocrine disruptor chemistry varies greatly, as does potency — the effectiveness in binding and “turning on” the response. Most endocrine disruptors have very low potency as their chemistry is significa
