Although scientists have already been warning for many years about the dangers of endocrine disruptors for health, these harmful substances are still present in everyday objects. Can we escape it… or at least limit our exposure?
You eat low fat, low sugar, low salt, you don't smoke either and you are physically active. Cheer ! But if you think you're ticking all the boxes to preserve your health, unfortunately you're wrong, because that's without taking into account the endocrine disruptors (EPs) that are found everywhere in everyday objects and food. Plastic containers or toys, household or hygiene products, cosmetics, clothing, food… These chemical or natural compounds are ubiquitous. We drink it, we eat it, we breathe it, our skin absorbs it and, although some are more vulnerable than others, everyone is affected.
From bisphenols in cans to triclosan in toothpaste, parabens in cosmetics, flame retardants in upholstery and computers or pesticides in fruits and vegetables, there are a multitude of PEs. . Even if their effects are better and better known, not all of them have yet been proven. First of all, a PE is defined by its action on the hormonal system, which it disrupts. It can, for example, modify the production of natural hormones (estrogens, testosterone) by interfering with their mechanisms of synthesis, transport or excretion. It can also mimic the action of the latter by replacing them in the biological mechanisms that they control. A PE can also prevent these hormones from doing their job by attaching themselves to the receptors with which they usually interact.
More transparency on endocrine disruptors
Good news for consumers:a decree obliges manufacturers to provide, from the 1 st January 2022, a list of products that contain endocrine disruptors. By interacting with the hormonal system, these can harm reproduction or the development of children. This list, accessible online for the general public, will concern foodstuffs, biocidal products (disinfectants, insecticides, rat poison, wood protection products, etc.), phytosanitary products (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc.), toys and cosmetics. While medical devices fall within the scope of this new measure, drugs are not mentioned in the decree.
The consequences for the body are manifold. Reproductive functions can in particular be altered, leading to genital malformations in babies, precocious puberty in children or even infertility problems in adults. These substances are also accused of being the cause of multiple pathologies. “Phthalates, added to some plastics, are associated with cardiovascular disease , points out Dr. Pierre Souvet, cardiologist and president of the French Environmental Health Association (Asef). Other endocrine disruptors that promote obesity and diabetes also indirectly cause cardiovascular disease,” he says, before adding:"DDT, long banned but persisting in cultures, increases the risk of breast cancer. Phthalates, bisphenol, perfluorinated compounds (PFC), which are also persistent pollutants, are suspected of being responsible for cognitive disorders, hyperactivity, neurodevelopmental disorders. Organophosphate pesticides are known to be neurotoxic. »
Concerning PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), banned since 1987 but which persist in the environment (present in food, predatory fish) or flame retardants, incorporated into a large number of everyday objects in order to limit fire hazards, studies have shown that they interfere with the functioning of the thyroid.
The most vulnerable people are children, from birth to the end of puberty, adults of childbearing age (both men and women) and pregnant and breastfeeding women. Scientists have been warning for several years about the migration of molecules harmful to children's health, such as phthalates or bisphenol, when food is cooked or reheated in plastic containers. Awareness is gradually gaining ground. From 2025, no disposable plastic will be allowed in canteens, nor plates, cups, pitchers, food containers for cooking, warming and serving. Although we may regret the excessively long delays (during which the children remain at the mercy of these PEs), the "Egalim" law of October 30, 2018, however, puts a brake on the risk of exposure of children to substances suspected of to be endocrine disruptors.
Another example:bisphenol A has been banned since 2012 in France in containers intended for children under 3 years of age. But if you don't find them in baby bottles or cans, “there are other bisphenols whose degree of harmfulness is unknown” , observes Pierre Souvet. Young boys and men of childbearing age are also concerned, since “we now suspect that bisphenol S is more aggressive than A and that it has an effect on testosterone secretion, emphasizes the cardiologist. It also stays in the body much longer, because it is less easily eliminated. »
Finally, even if there is no more bisphenol A in plastic baby bottles, those made of polypropylene are not without danger:with heat, this plastic degrades and releases microparticles, which the infant absorbs while suckling.
This is why the doctor recommends using glass bottles, or at least avoiding heating and mixing powdered milk and water in the plastic bottle, but rather in a metal container. inert as stainless steel, then pour this drink once cooled to 25°C into the bottle. In general, glass containers are preferred for reheating dishes. "The heat, but also the duration of contact, influence the harmfulness of the material", explains Dr. Souvet, who recommends, in accordance with official recommendations, to consume as much as possible of foods from organic farming, "because pesticides often have an endocrine disrupting activity" . "Of course everyone must be protected, but especially pregnant women, very young children and adolescents", insists the doctor, in favor of a preconception consultation to alert future mothers to the environmental risks for the development of the fetus. "The main principle is to avoid unnecessary chemicals, such as perfumes, nail polish, pesticides... We can't escape it, but we can do better", assures Pierre Souvet, who invites people to be informed and to share their advice with those close to them, "at the risk of being taken for the nuisance of service!" » The stakes are far too high.
“Bulle 1000 jours”:an application to fight against endocrine disruptors
An application intended for parents and future parents allows them to be accompanied and during the first thousand days of the child, a key period in its development. Designed by doctors and midwives, in collaboration with the Association Santé Environnement France (Asef) and the URPS liberal doctors PACA and the company Exolis, the Bubble 1,000 days, that's its name, is a practical and didactic tool that informs them about endocrine disruptors. Easy to use, it provides expert advice, such as not putting the child to sleep in a bed you have just bought, not painting the child's room during pregnancy, washing the new clothes before wearing them, ventilate your interior regularly or avoid prepared meals. The Bubble 1,000 Days app can be downloaded for free from Google Play and the App Store.
