Endocrine disruptors phthalates

Xenoestrogens, exhibiting a wide molecular diversity, are found in a number of cosmetic products, such as plasticizers, perfume fixatives, and solvents (e.g., dibutyl phthalate), industrial chemicals and pollutants such as insecticides (e.g., methoxychlor, DDT, and DDE), epoxy resins, and polycarbonate (e.g., bisphenol A), and herbicides (e.g., simazine). This group of chemicals has been classified as environmental endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs), defined as exogenous agents that interfere with the synthesis, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development, and/or behavior. A list of representative chemicals is shown in Table 1 based on commercial usage. 

Chemicals known to be human endocrine disruptors include dioxin, PCBs, DDT and other pesticides, diethylstilbestrol, some phthalate ester plasticizers, and heavy metals. Table 4.4 lists the EDCs. 

Toxicological studies have linked some phthalate esters to liver and kidney damage, and to possible testicular or reproductive birth defect problems, characterizing them as endocrine disruptors. In this way, up to 12 phthalate esters, such as DBF, BBP, DEHP, DIDP, and DINP are within the list of the proposed substances suspected to produce endocrine alterations published by the EU. The endocrine disruption potential of pthalate esters was recently reviewed by Harris and Sumpter. The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR), the World... 

Harris, C. A. and Sumpter, J. P., The endocrine disrupting potential of phthalates. In The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, Part L, Endocrine Disruptors, Part /, Vol. 3, Metzler, M., Ed., Springer-Verlag, Berhn, pp. 169-201, 2001. 

Dodson RE, Nishioka M, Standley LJ et al (2012) Endocrine disruptors and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products. Environ Health Perspect 120(7) 935-943 Durmaz E, Ozmert EN, Erkekoglu P et al (2010) Plasma phthalate levels in pubertal gynecomastia. Pediatrics 125(l) el22-el29... 

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