Our Stolen Future

Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers describes the effects of various endocrine disruptors on vertebrate physiology.  An endocrine disruptor, or endocrine mimic, is a chemical that interrupts or alters the function of our hormonal system.  These chemicals bear a strong resemblance to those that our body produces on its own (e.g., estrogen or testosterone), so they are able to "confuse" or "shut off" the cellular machinery inside our bodies.  Typical effects of endocrine disruptors are reproductive problems, developmental problems, cancer, behavioral/mood problems - basically any process in our body that is regulated by hormones.

The function of hormones in our body is to convey messages from one part of the body to another.  This is not a message in the sense of a nerve impulse, but rather a way of controlling processes such as growth or development.  These chemicals usually do their work at very low concentrations in our blood, with only a small amount required to stimulate cells with the proper receptors into action.  Receptors on the surfaces of our cells are structured in way that allows them to "recognize" a hormone by its shape, or chemical conformation.  If an exogenous chemical (a substance originating from a source outside our body) has a shape that is similar to the shape of an endogenous chemical (one produced inside our body), then it can stimulate the receiving cell into action - or, in some cases, "clog" a cell's receptors, thereby preventing it from acting appropriately when endogenous hormones are present in the blood.

The reason this matters (and the reason you should be concerned) is that endocrine disruptors are everywhere!  In other words, they are ubiquitous, meaning they can be found throughout our environment.  The chemicals get into the environment (including our food, textiles, homes, and recreation areas) via pollution, industrial processes, and the use of pesticides.  Once there, they do not break down very quickly (or at all, in some cases), and they slowly poison us, our food resources, our water, and wildlife.  The effects of this poisoning are most acute in developing organisms (e.g., children), reproductive individuals (such as expecting mothers), and fetuses.  A list of endocrine disruptor chemicals is provided on the web site for Our Stolen Future, and you can read about the their effects, the hormone that they mimic, and find links to the peer-reviewed literature.