What types of compounds are priorities for breast cancer research at Silent Spring Institute?
SSI’s researchers focus on two types of chemicals: those that cause mammary tumors in animals and those that disrupt hormones. In particular, SSI’s scientists study chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen; natural estrogen is a well-established breast cancer risk factor, therefore, synthetic chemicals that act like estrogen when in our bodies are potential sources of increased risk of breast cancer. The chemicals SSI focuses on have common sources, including pesticides, detergents, plastics, and air pollutants from motor vehicles and other combustion, and can be found in our drinking water, household dust, and indoor air.
