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Common Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked To Cancer And IQ Loss Might Be Costing Billions, Studies Claim

Common Chemicals Could Be Costing Billions

According to a series of studies published by a team of researchers led by New York University, common chemicals such as pesticides capable of disrupting human hormones could be costing more than $175 billion a year in damage to health across Europe.

The team has indicated that their estimates were conservative, according to a report published on BBC.

The series of studies, which were presented at this year’s Endocrinology Society meeting, liked declining sperm counts, some cancers, obesity, diabetes and impaired intelligence to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

The study, which was published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, links EDCs to autism, attention hyperactivity disorder, testicular cancer, IQ loss and a loss of fertility in men.

Richard Sharpe, head of male reproductive health research at the University of Edinburgh, as having warned not to “lose sight” of the notion that “the content of these publications is interpretation and informed speculation,” the Global Post reported.

The researchers concluded that they are 99 percent certain that hormone altering chemicals are linked to an array of health problems.

EDCs are commonly found in thousands of products around the world which include pesticides, plastics, furniture and even cosmetics.

National Geographic reported that the U.S. federal government’s leading environmental health official, Linda Birnbaum, referred to the recently published studies as “a wake up call” for heath experts and policy makers alike.

Within the four published papers constituting the recently published studies, the researchers estimated that the health care cost associated with chemicals in plastics alone to be at least $28 billion a year.

Based on this study, what do you think the global annual health cost induced by these hormone-altering chemicals is?

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