Transcript ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS

ENVIRONMENTAL
ESTROGENS
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Introduction
Endocrine System
Environmental Estrogens
Recent reports
Conclusion
Endocrine System
• is a complex network existing in all animals
with backbone.
• Is responsible for the transmission of
messages and chemical signals from glands
to cells(hormones and receptors)
• in order to accomplish several body
functions
• general pattern: signal received, hormonal
response and reaction.
Environmental Estrogens
• Are substances,
• They can mimick,
synthetic chemicals or
block or cancel out
natural plant
estrogens effects
compounds, that act or
may act as if they were
natural hormones
called estrogens
RECENT REPORTS
LINDANE
• April 15, 1999
• a report prepared by the Austrian
Government suggests a ban on lindane
• lindane is a power insecticide used in
farming - including as spray on apples,
wheat and maize - and timber treatment
• In 1997, in the UK, 100,000kg were used in
agriculture.
Harmful effects
• Category 3
• nervous system
carcinogenic substance
damage
• hormone disruption
• immune system
damage
• behavioral changes
• birth defects
DATA
• It wasn’t collected health and environmental
data before its use was approved, and is still
not available.
• There’s no data available to set a safe level of
exposure for lindane.
• Lindane is already banned in Sweden,
Denmark and France (in agriculture)
• A number of studies have suggested a link
between lindane and breast cancer
DIELDRIN
• December 4, 1998
• a report prepared by Danish researchers
(Center for Preventive Medicine in Glostrup,
Denmark) links Dieldrin to breast cancer
• women with the highest traces of the
pesticide Dieldrin in their blood were twice
as likely as women with the lowest levels to
develop breast cancer
DIOXINS
• October 16, 1998
• Declining sperm counts in men has been
correlated with dioxin in several studies in
INDIA
• endometriosis affects 10% of women in
their reproductive years, was observed at
very low doses of dioxin ingestion
CONCLUSION
• Scientists
acknowledge that the
real difficulty in the
area of endocrine
disruption is
interpreting data
• We have human
effects “ LOOKING
FOR A CAUSE” .