Toxic Chemicals Bending Gender
(San Francisco) According to a new report by Mark Prigg in London’s Evening Standard, new concerns are being raised about a group of common chemicals found in make-up, shampoo, plastics, toys and soap which could cause women to give birth to male babies with shrunken genitals and demonstrably less masculine behavior. The group of chemicals… known as phthalates… is used to give color to cosmetics and to help bond molecules in perfume formulas. Phthalates are also used in such common products are food wrap, kidney dialysis tubes and blood transfusion bags.
The Evening Standard article quoted study leader Professor Shanna Swan as saying that this toxic chemical contamination poses very grave environmental risks. According to Professor Swan, 90 per cent of male babies exposed to high levels of these chemicals in the womb exhibited more female physical traits. Many people across the globe feel it is imperative to urgently remove the toxins and toxic chemicals from our products and manufacturing process. Just since the end of World War II, the use of chemicals in food production, food products and manufacturing has expanded exponentially.
Professor Swan’s study of 134 boys found a range of problems… including shrunken genitalia and undescended testicles. Leaders of the study are said to believe that the effects may be permanent, however only time will confirm this worst fear. In the interim, Professor Swan is urging consumers to write to manufacturers in an effort for public disclosure on just which products contain the phthalates. “I urge people to write,” she said. “The problem for consumers is at the moment we just don’t know where this will show up.”
Andreas Kortenkamp, claimed by the Evening Standard article to be an expert in environmental pollutants, said, “If it’s true, it’s sensational. This is the first time anyone’s shown this effect in humans. These are mass chemicals. They are used in any plastic that is pliable. Sorting this out is going to be an interesting challenge for industry and well as society.”
***
As a writer, Michael David McGuire has covered numerous news and feature stories from across North America, Europe and Asia.
