Vittoria d’Alessio examines how EU-funded scientists can uncover hidden dangers of everyday endocrine dents and develop more effective tests to protect women’s reproductive health and future generations.
Endocrine dentition chemicals (EDCs) can be found everywhere, from plastics to cosmetics, and have a quiet effect on reproductive health. EU-funded researchers are developing better testing to shed light on risk and protect future generations.
Professor Majon Van Duursen, a Dutch environmental hygiene expert and toxicologist, has turned to improving women’s health. Her main target? EDCs discovered anywhere around us, from the air we breathe, from the clothes we wear, from the products we put on our skin.
Van Duursen, director of the Environmental Health and Toxicology section for the Amsterdam Institute in the Netherlands, is part of the growing chorus of European scientists who believe they need to take a closer look at EDCS and their health effects.
“We need to have a deeper understanding of how these chemicals are accurately harmful to women’s reproductive systems and better testing, so these chemicals can be identified before they enter the products they use.”
Assessing the risk of EDC
Endocrine disintegration chemicals can be found almost everywhere, including household fragrances, cleaning products, plastic food containers, packaging (bisphenol A), cosmetics (parabens), shampoos, and plastic wraps (phthalates). It is also present in non-stick cooking utensils, some pesticides, electronics, furniture and textiles.
A large group of scientists scrutinizing the EDC are working together in an international partnership called Eurion. This summarises eight independent research initiatives that address the hidden dangers of these chemicals.
The aim is to improve our understanding of the risks posed by these very common chemicals, to clarify their presence and develop new testing methods to assess their safety.
One of the Eurion was a five-year research initiative called Freia, which examined the specific risks that EDC poses to women’s health.
The exact mechanisms by which EDCs cause health hazards are not yet fully understood, but are associated with serious health issues such as reproductive disorders, developmental issues, and certain cancers.
Focus on women’s health and fertility
He warned Van Duursen, who coordinated the Frey-Ainitiative, that the risks are particularly high for women who want to have children.
The research team has gathered key experts from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the US. The main focus of their work was to explore how EDCs influence women’s reproductive health at different stages of their lives.
“We have known for a while that the effects of exposure differ between women, adolescents and adult women, but we have little thought about what is happening in the ovaries at these different points,” Van Dusen said.
Researchers are currently developing human tissue models that represent the entire life cycle, from fetal ovarian tissue and adrenal tissue to mature ovarian follicles, identifying biomarkers of EDC exposure.
By studying ovarian tissue in the lab, researchers made important discoveries. For example, they found that puberty begins early in ovaries exposed to EDC. Additionally, fewer germ cells in ovaries are produced by splitting eggs, making them a direct role in breeding.
The researchers also found that vitro fertilization was less successful in women when more EDCs were identified in the follicle fluid surrounding the egg.
“All this means, in theory, that exposure to these chemicals can lead to less eggs, and in turn to early menopause and fertility issues, even in early development,” Van Duursen said.
Freia’s research initiative ended in 2024, but the team’s work continues. The next big step for them is to study egg function in adult women.
Chemical Exposure
People can be exposed to EDC through food they eat, especially when heated with toxins released into the air by plastic packaging materials, products placed on the skin, chemically processed furniture and textiles.
Some of these chemicals disrupt the body’s hormonal system by mimicking hormones such as binding to estrogens and hormone receptors, effectively blocking natural hormones from functioning properly.
“The impact on reproductive health, especially in women, can be extremely complicated and lasting for a lifetime, even after prenatal exposure,” said Alexandra Scranton, director of scientific research for the female Voice, advocacy group for the Earth. The group’s goal is to eliminate toxic chemicals that are harmful to women’s health and the community.
Scranton highlighted that while women are not necessarily at risk of EDC influences than men, they may be disproportionately affected by these chemicals as a result of occupational gender bias.
“You work in a hair salon or work more as a cleaner – a “invisible” occupation that is often primarily a woman – you can all have cleaning products, shampoos, hair color, relaxation, straighteners, styling products, all of which can include EDC.
For Scranton, it is necessary to recognize that there are problems with the use of EDC, and she welcomes initiatives like Freia, which focuses specifically on women’s health.
The EDC is covered by REACH, a comprehensive EU regulations aimed at protecting humans and the environment from the effects of chemicals, but the EU recognizes the importance of more closely adjusting these chemicals.
Research that improves the ability to identify and test endocrine disintegrating chemicals is useful only in this regard.
So far, eight projects in the Eurion cluster have compiled a list of 100 test methods to improve EDC identification. Many of these tests have been validated by independent labs. In time, it is expected that some will help further limit EDC use.
Information is power
Thankfully, there are steps people can already take to protect themselves, and Freia’s research team is keen to help consumers avoid endocrine and breaking chemicals whenever possible. With this in mind, they have published recommendations to minimize contact with these dangerous chemicals.
These include simple tips such as washing before you put on new clothes, heating up food in a plastic container microwave, and vacuuming your home regularly to remove any dust covered with EDC.
“Women deserve to understand the reality in which they live and we have a responsibility to let them know,” Van Duursen said.
“We are surrounded by chemicals, but some are potentially harmful and can be avoided fairly easily and cheaply.”
The research in this article was funded by the EU’s Horizon programme. The views of interviewees do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Additional Information
This article was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation Magazine.
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