September 9, 2021 | A study published in Toxicology Reports finds the same chemicals that disrupt the endocrine (hormone) system also disrupt the nervous system. Endocrine disruptors are xenobiotics (i.e., chemical substances like toxic pesticides foreign to an organism or ecosystem) present in nearly all organisms and ecosystems. The World Health Organization (WHO), European Union (EU), and endocrine disruptor expert (deceased) Theo Colborn, Ph.D., classify over 55 to 177 chemical compounds as endocrine disruptors, including various household products like detergents, disinfectants, plastics, and pesticides. Past research shows exposure to endocrine-disrupting pesticides adversely affects human health, from reproductive function to cancer development, and effects can span generations. The researchers establish the novel concept that endocrine disruptors are neurological disruptors (neuro-disruptors) and collectively refer to these chemicals as endocrine and nervous disruptors (ENDs). Neurological diseases include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease, dementia-like diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and other effects on cognitive function. This is in addition to the effect of these chemicals on reproductive function, metabolic/immune function, hormone- related cancers, and fetal/body development. [Seralini, Gilles-Eric, and Jungers, Gerald. Endocrine disruptors also function as nervous disruptors and can be renamed endocrine and nervous disruptors (ENDs). Toxicology Reports. Vol. 8:1538-1557, 2021.]
