Did anyone see the NYT article the other day that links phthalates and male infertility? Since our scientific knowledge is in constant transition, I try not to be alarmist when the latest health research findings are published. Having followed the literature on so called “endocrine disruptors” for years now, though, this doesn’t strike me as a concern that will go away.
Endocrine disruptors interfere with hormone production and distribution in our bodies. I posted a year or so ago on BPA, another such compound, and its unsettling link to, among other things, male frog vaginas—a deeply pleasant thought, I know. (For info on where BPA lurks and some ways to avoid it, see post.)
As human infertility rates climb, phthalates are worrisome, too. According to the NYT, these lurk in “cosmetics and plastics, but also packaging, textiles, detergents and other household products. . . tubing used in hospitals to deliver medications; enteric coatings on pills, including some aspirin; materials used to create time-release capsules.” They were banned from toys in 2008. There are plenty of other environmental toxins, like heavy metals, in the mix, and the trends are disturbing.
