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Hazards of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Are Underestimated

Recent studies agree: Chemical exposures have become a serious public health threat. While chemicals such as plasticizers make life more convenient, they're a major contributor to ill health, costing the U.S. more than $340 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity.

November 4, 2016 | Source: Mercola | by Dr. Joseph Mercola

Recent studies agree: Chemical exposures have become a serious public health threat. While chemicals such as plasticizers make life more convenient, they're a major contributor to ill health, costing the U.S. more than $340 billion each year in health care costs and lost productivity.1,2,3

Impaired brain development, lower IQs, behavior problems, infertility, birth defects, obesity, diabetes, uterine fibroids, endometriosis and precocious puberty are just a sampling of the many health problems linked to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

As noted by Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor at NYU Langone in New York City and co-author of the study:4

"Our research adds to the growing evidence on the tremendous economic as well as human health costs of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This has the potential to develop into a much larger health and economic issue if no policy action is taken."

Americans Are at Greater Risk of Toxic Exposures Than Europeans

In the European Union (EU) — where regulations are more stringent and exposure is less severe than in the U.S. — medical expenses associated with EDC exposure still amounts to a whopping $177.5 billion (€163 billion) annually, according to the most recent estimates.5

Women's health problems alone, caused by EDCs, were recently found to cost the EU $1.5 billion (€1.4 billion) each year.6,7,8,9,10

The discrepancy between the U.S. and the EU suggests regulating endocrine-disrupting chemicals can indeed have a very significant and beneficial impact on health.

After all, the EU has a population of more than 510 million,11 whereas the U.S. has just under 325 million,12 yet the healthcare costs associated with chemical exposures in the U.S. is nearly double that of the EU.