Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Occurrence and Exposure to the Human Being

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-induced Metabolic Disorders and Treatment Strategies

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be described as exogenous factors that impede the production, release, circulation, and binding of the body’s endogenous hormones, essential for the continuation of reproduction, growth, and homeostasis. In the past few decades certain groups of chemicals that are widely used for the construction materials, home decors, and everyday use goods have demonstrated to be endocrine-disrupting chemicals which include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for electronics, paints and floor coats, fire retardants used in furniture and textiles, phthalates used in plastics and scents, parabens used for the protection of products such as lotions and sunscreens, and alkylphenols used in detergents and pesticide formulations. In several countries, endocrine-disrupting chemicals have a higher health risk and may lead to the progression of specific abnormalities. Interference with the natural hormonal mechanism causes irreversible toxicity, which creates harmful reproductive, developmental, and behavioral effects. One of the significant public health concerns of these chemical compounds is their lifelong detrimental effects. The role and impacts of endocrine disruptors and their link to the ecosystem and human health have already been deeply concerned over several years. However, several questions arise about the mechanisms of action of the endocrine disruptors, and further research is required. This chapter studies the current understanding of the potential health risks of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in humans and highlights a need for increasing awareness of EDCs exposure and their lifelong health effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Gore AC, Chappell V, Fenton S, Flaws JA, Nadal A, Prins GS, et al. EDC-2: the Endocrine Society’s second scientific statement on endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endocr Rev. 2015;36(6):E1–E150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Colborn T, Vom Saal FS, Soto AM. Developmental effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans. Environ Health Perspect. 1993;101(5):378–84.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Street M, Angelini S, Bernasconi S, Burgio E, Cassio A, Catellani C, et al. Current knowledge on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) from animal biology to humans, from pregnancy to adulthood: highlights from a national italian meeting. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(6):1647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Schug TT, Janesick A, Blumberg B, Heindel JJ. Endocrine disrupting chemicals and disease susceptibility. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2011;127(3–5):204–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bouchard P. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, a multifaceted danger. C R Biol. 2017;340(9–10):401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Monneret C. What is an endocrine disruptor? C R Biol. 2017;340(9–10):403–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bergman Å, Heindel JJ, Jobling S, Kidd K, Zoeller TR, World Health Organization. State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2012. p. 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Bourguignon JP, Giudice LC, Hauser R, Prins GS, Soto AM, et al. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocr Rev. 2009;30(4):293–342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Caliman FA, Gavrilescu M. Pharmaceuticals, personal care products and endocrine disrupting agents in the environment—a review. CLEAN–Soil Air Water. 2009;37(4–5):277–303.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kabir ER, Rahman MS, Rahman I. A review on endocrine disruptors and their possible impacts on human health. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2015;40(1):241–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Barkhem T, Carlsson B, Nilsson Y, Enmark E, Gustafsson J-Å, Nilsson S. Differential response of estrogen receptor α and estrogen receptor β to partial estrogen agonists/antagonists. Mol Pharmacol. 1998;54(1):105–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Eskenazi B, Chevrier J, Rosas LG, Anderson HA, Bornman MS, Bouwman H, et al. The Pine River statement: human health consequences of DDT use. Environ Health Perspect. 2009;117(9):1359–67.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Taylor KW, Novak RF, Anderson HA, Birnbaum LS, Blystone C, DeVito M, et al. Evaluation of the association between persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and diabetes in epidemiological studies: a national toxicology program workshop review. Environ Health Perspect. 2013;121(7):774–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Goosey E, Harrad S. Perfluoroalkyl compounds in dust from Asian, Australian, European, and North American homes and UK cars, classrooms, and offices. Environ Int. 2011;37(1):86–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Haug LS, Huber S, Becher G, Thomsen C. Characterisation of human exposure pathways to perfluorinated compounds—comparing exposure estimates with biomarkers of exposure. Environ Int. 2011;37(4):687–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lunder S, Hovander L, Athanassiadis I, Bergman Å. Significantly higher polybrominated diphenyl ether levels in young US children than in their mothers. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44(13):5256–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Rose M, Bennett DH, Bergman Å, Fängström B, Pessah IN, Hertz-Picciotto I. PBDEs in 2–5 year-old children from California and associations with diet and indoor environment. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44(7):2648–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zota AR, Adamkiewicz G, Morello-Frosch RA. Are PBDEs an environmental equity concern? Exposure disparities by socioeconomic status. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44(15):5691–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Joint F, Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, World Health Organization. Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants: sixty-eighth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  20. WHO. Pharmaceuticals in drinking-water. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Brigden K, Labunska I, Santillo D, Allsopp M. Recycling of electronic wastes in China and India: workplace and environmental contamination. Greenpeace International; 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Robinson BH. E-waste: an assessment of global production and environmental impacts. Sci Total Environ. 2009;408(2):183–91.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Coalition SVT, Network BA. Exporting harm: the high-tech trashing of Asia. Seattle: The Basel Action Network; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Liu X, Tanaka M, Matsui Y. Generation amount prediction and material flow analysis of electronic waste: a case study in Beijing, China. Waste Manag Res. 2006;24(5):434–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Terazono A, Murakami S, Abe N, Inanc B, Moriguchi Y. Sakai S-i, et al. Current status and research on E-waste issues in Asia. J Mater Cycl Waste Manage. 2006;8(1):1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Wong MH, Wu S, Deng WJ, Yu X, Luo Q, Leung A, et al. Export of toxic chemicals—a review of the case of uncontrolled electronic-waste recycling. Environ Pollut. 2007;149(2):131–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Leung AO, Luksemburg WJ, Wong AS, Wong MH. Spatial distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in soil and combusted residue at Guiyu, an electronic waste recycling site in southeast China. Environ Sci Technol. 2007;41(8):2730–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ma J, Horii Y, Cheng J, Wang W, Wu Q, Ohura T, et al. Chlorinated and parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples from an electronic waste recycling facility and a chemical industrial complex in China. Environ Sci Technol. 2009;43(3):643–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Frazzoli C, Orisakwe OE, Dragone R, Mantovani A. Diagnostic health risk assessment of electronic waste on the general population in developing countries’ scenarios. Environ Impact Assess Rev. 2010;30(6):388–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Fu J, Zhou Q, Liu J, Liu W, Wang T, Zhang Q, et al. High levels of heavy metals in rice (Oryzasativa L.) from a typical E-waste recycling area in southeast China and its potential risk to human health. Chemosphere. 2008;71(7):1269–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Sindiku O, Babyemi J, Osibanjo O, Schlummer M, Schluep M, Weber R. Assessing BFRs and POP-PBDEs in e-waste polymers in Nigeria. Organohalogen Compd. 2012;74:1320–3.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Bergman Å, Heindel JJ, Kasten T, Kidd KA, Jobling S, Neira M, et al. The impact of endocrine disruption: a consensus statement on the state of the science. Morrisville: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Qurat UL Ain & Debmalya Roy

  2. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Anam Ahsan

  3. Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Muhammad Asim Farooq, Md Aquib, Brobbey Emmanuel & Bo Wang

  4. Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

    Zahid Hussain

Authors
  1. Qurat UL Ain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Debmalya Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anam Ahsan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Muhammad Asim Farooq
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Md Aquib
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zahid Hussain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Brobbey Emmanuel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Bo Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Sajid Hamid Akash

  2. Department of Pharmacy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Kanwal Rehman

  3. Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Zaffar Hashmi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ain, Q.U. et al. (2021). Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Occurrence and Exposure to the Human Being. In: Akash, M.S.H., Rehman, K., Hashmi, M.Z. (eds) Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-induced Metabolic Disorders and Treatment Strategies. Emerging Contaminants and Associated Treatment Technologies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45923-9_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation