Environmental Hormone Mimics (Essay Sample)

Environmental Hormone Mimics
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Abstract
The spread of chemical use and application around the world has made life easier with the production of different materials for human and animal consumption. The world has also been able to effectively fight some of the diseases and their causes among animals, plants and human beings; diseases such as polio and malaria are effectively being fought through vaccination as well as the curbing of the spread of some of the deadly pests through the use of pesticide. The medical field has significantly advanced over the years; pharmaceutical productions have also been improved which leads us to a new crop of problems. Solving of human problems has led the emergence of other problems; among these problems is the spread of hormone diseases. People are consciously and unconsciously exposed to health hazards throughout their daily activities which have led to the increase health complications such as cancers, diabetes and obesity. The spread of environmental hormone mimics poses a threat to public health as well as environmental stability. People are experiencing hormone alterations form their daily consumption of products such plastics in their homes, the use pesticides in agriculture as well as purchase of pharmaceutical products over the counter. Environmental hormone mimics are thus a sensitive aspect of life that needs to be effectively addressed.
Introduction and Background of the study
In the modern world, there is increased threat to life; this is based on the spread of science and technology where we are able to produce various substances necessary for our day to day utility such as food stuff. The exploration of natural resources has also led to environmental degradation that has had consequent effects on the environment such as cutting down forests, and greenhouse gas emissions from the application of fossil fuels; that consequently leads to air pollution as well as global warming which are threats to human life. Among the most prevalent health and environmental threats that we are facing today are environmental hormone mimics, also known as endocrine disruptors; the hormone mimics as scientifically referred to, are mainly comprised of chemical substances that enter the body and alter the hormone balance; they affect hormone production as well as hormone functions and thus leading to medical complications.
Sources of the hormone mimics are both natural and manmade, this includes common substances such as pharmaceuticals that are produced for medical purposes and some are readily available for sale over the counter without prescriptions (Humphrey et.al, P. 33, 2014). The processes involved in the production of the products also lead to environmental degradation through the release of gaseous chemicals into the air; these emissions contain dioxin and dioxin-like compounds that are cancerous and thus a threat to human and animal life (Chen, p. 29, 2005). Everyday products such as food stuff and packaging materials also constitute to sources of hormone mimics, these products include; toys, plastic bottles, cosmetics, detergents metal cans etc. Endocrine disruptor elements found in this products lead to hormone complications that have severe effects on fertility, neurological and immunity as functions of the body. In the recent years, such complications have been on the increase which has raised an alarm and brought in the urge to control them (Langston, p. 67, 2010). This has compelled governments to set up agencies to ensure that products produced for mass consumption should meet certain chemical standards so as to ensure consumer safety. The international market has set standards on the kinds of fertilizers to use for export food productions as well as elaborate packaging and transport measures (Langston, p. 76, 2010).
Among the government agencies are tasked with chemical control include the NTP (national toxicological program; NTP continues to battle with plastic production control. Bisphenol A (BPA) is among the leading sources of hormone mimics around the world, BPA is produced in large quantities as is essential for the production of polycarbonate plastics that we use in our daily lives such as cups and plates and bottles (Langston, p. 83, 2010). The NTP has linked BPA to brain damage as well as prostate gland development in fetuses and young children below the age of 5. The NTP has also alarmed the application of another common chemical Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) that is mass produced for use in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC); which is used to manufacture plastic products such as pipes, and surgical tools. Medical products such as incubators made from (PVC) have been found to cause slow thyroid development infant boys and consequently been abolished. This shows the high intensity of unconscious exposure to hormone mimics among the public based on our application of the above named substances in our daily lives.
Potential consequences of exposure to hormone mimics
There are potential consequences to the release of the hormone mimics into the environment. The potential consequences affect both human beings and animals; the hormone mimics are able to mimic or partly mimic the some of the naturally occurring hormones in the body such as estrogen in female and androgen in male species (Chen, p.43, 2005). Another hormone that is adversely affected by the hormone mimics is the thyroid hormone which consequently leads to increased body stimulation. The hormone mimics also attack receptors in the body where they bind within a cell and block the endogenous hormones from normal binding and thus leading to failure of normal signaling in the body and the body is consequently unable to normally respond to functions such as touch and temperature changes (Humphrey et.al, p. 54, 2014). The environmental threats are mainly centered on air land and water contamination. The release of endocrine disruptors into the air or water bodies provides a platform for the hormone mimics to be absorbed into human and animal bodies. These effects are consequently interwoven into a cycle, some animals are sources of food to humans and thus humans may consequently develop complications from feeding on animal products such as meat if the animal was suffering from a hormone disease such as foot and mouth disease and swine flu (Chen, p. 69, 2005). Some of the species are at risk of extinction, gene mutations that caused by exposure to environmental hormone mimics have negative effects on the reproduction capabilities of the species such as the bald eagles thus leading to their extinction. This shows that we are at risk of more extinction of species through slow and reduced reproduction rates that are derived from the reduced fertility (Chen, p.93, 2005).
The controversy behind endocrine disruptors was presented to the public through a bestselling book our stolen future; the book focused on effects of the endocrine disruptors on animals and more so wild animals. This had an effect on human awareness based on the fact that human and animals have the same cellular and molecular processes. There is no much distinction between the physiological processes responsible for immune responses, energy production as well as growth and development in humans and animals (Colborn et.al, p. 49, 1996). One of the studies in the book is based on the shrinking of the male alligator genital size due water contamination in a lake where the alligators lived. The high concentration of chemicals spilled into the lake led to the mimicking of the androgen hormones among the male alligators, the genital size was reduced by 24% while the testosterone levels were reduced by 70% (Colborn et.al, p. 63, 1996). The male alligator in Lake Apopka reproduction system had been significantly altered as compared to the alligators living in other lakes of same size; the only difference among the lakes was the fact that Lake Apopka had high concentration of pesticide chemicals (Colborn et.al, p. 79, 1996). Going by the similarity in the cellular and molecular processes in male alligators and human males, we can deduce the fact that male humans are also at a threat of similar effects in case they are exposed to the same hormone mimicking chemicals from pesticides.
A recent study showed that xenoestrogens can be found in almost all day to day products and thus escalating the risks of the chemical effects on people. Xenoestrogens can be found in water sources, this is mainly attributed to pesticides that are consequently washed down into water bodies by rains (Searle, p. 54, 2011). Water treatment and purification plants on the other hand are not able to reverse the chemical composition of the water and thus the chemical contaminated water makes it to the households. Cosmetics and toiletries also pose a threat to endocrine disruption as their chemical compositions have traces hormone mimicking characteristics (Chen, p. 74, 2005). Cosmetic and toiletries are more risky than since they are absorbed through the skin. Xenoestrogens absorbed through the skin are 15 times more potent as they are absorbed straight into the body as they do not pass through the liver. Some of the xenoestrogens found in cosmetics include phthalates, benozophenone-3, homosalate, 4-methyl-benzlidene camphor (4-MBC), octyl-methoxy cinnamate and octyl dimethy-PAB (Langston, p. 109, 2010.
Among the consequences of the xenoestrogens is prostate cancer, research has indicated that prostate cancer levels are higher in populations where agriculture is practiced as compared to other populations. This is because the people living near the plantations are exposed to water and air contaminations through chlordecone which is a xenoestrogen present in 90% of the pesticides (Langston, p. 91, 2010). Heart complications are ot...