Read the full article by Sharon Udasin (The Hill)
“Exposure to two classes of endocrine-disrupting compounds — ‘forever chemicals’ and phthalates — may be associated with poor bone health in male teens, a new study has found.
Some of these disrupters, which interfere with the way the body’s hormones work, could be responsible for reducing bone mineral density in adolescent boys, according to the study in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Because bone accrual mainly occurs during childhood and adolescence, the authors stressed the importance of identifying factors that negatively impact bone development during this period.
So-called forever chemicals — also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — are most notorious for their presence in jet fuel firefighting foams and industrial discharge, but are also key ingredients in a variety of household products, like nonstick pans, waterproof apparel, cosmetics and food packaging.
Not only are PFAS pervasive in consumer products, but they also tend to linger in both human tissue and in the environment. Exposure to PFAS is linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease and other illnesses.
Phthalates, meanwhile, are often used in personal care products, children’s toys and food packaging and processing materials. They are associated with birth defects, infertility, learning disabilities and neurological disorders.
‘Adolescence is an important time when our bodies build up bone,’ study co-author Abby Fleisch, of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, said in a statement.
‘Almost all U.S. children and adolescents are exposed to PFAS and phthalates, but few studies have looked at how these chemicals could be impacting our bone health,’ Fleisch added.”…