Skip to contentThese are the most important products in which EDCs are incorporated:
- Pest control Products used at home, work and public spaces: Examples DDT, Chlorpyrifos, Atrazine 2, 4-D, Glyphosate.
- Children’s Products: Example, Lead, Phthalates, Cadmium.
- Industrial Solvents or Lubricants and their byproducts: Example, PCBs and Dioxins
- Plastics and Food Storage Materials: Example, BPA, Phthalates, Phenols.
- Electronics and Building Materials: Example, Brominated Flame Retardants, PCBs, metals
- Personal Care Products, Medical Tubing: Example, Phthalates, Parabens, UV filters.
- Anti -Bacterials: Example, Triclosan
- Textile, Clothing: Example, Perfluorochemicals.
- Emissions from burning: Dioxins and Furans
The most important chemical groups containing EDCs are:
- Pesticides: such as p,p'‑DDT, p,p'DDE and o,p'DDT, chlordecone, betahexachlorocyclohexane, dibromochloropropane (DBCP), endosulfan, dieldrin, etc
- Dioxins: polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins (PCDD) such as TCDD and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) – products of incomplete combustion and products of various industrial processes.
- Alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APES) and decomposition products such as octylphenol and nonphenol: used as antioxidants and in the synthesis of detergents
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as dimethyl benzanthracene and benzo[a]pyrene: combustion products of wood, coal, gas, oil, garbage or tobacco.
- Phyto-oestrogen, are plant oestrogens such as coumestrol, zearalenone, isoflavones and lignans
- Pharmaceuticals, such as dtetrylsrilbestrol (DE J) ethinyl oestrodiol (in contraceptives) and muscle builders (anabolic steriods).
- Metals – Lead, mercury/methyl mercury, arsenic, manganese, cadmium, zinc
The most important EDCs are:
- Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs). Used to reduce flammability in electronics, clothing, and furniture such as sofas and mattresses.
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS). Present in insulation, electrical equipment, caulking, and oil-based paints. They have the strongest and longest known association with neurological disorders.
- Phthalates. Used in hundreds of products including many food and beverage containers and plastic wraps. People are exposed to them when they are released when most plastic containers are microwaved.
- Bisphenol A (BPA). Although it is banned in children’s products such as baby bottles, it’s still used in many water bottles and plastic containers and in the epoxy resins that protect canned food from contamination. BPA leaching is enhanced by heating or reheating (e.g., microwaved) or exposed to sunlight or acidic foods (e.g., tomatoes).
- PFAS Chemicals. These are manmade chemicals used as oil and water repellants and coatings for common products including cookware, carpets and textiles. These chemicals do not break down when they are released into the environment, and they continue to accumulate overtime.
