Exposure to Some Plastics May Hit Men Where It Hurts

A ban is proposed in certain states for toys with phthalates like some vinyl rubber ducks.

Photo: Gianluca Fabrizio / Istock/Istock

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Evidence keeps piling up about the potential of three common chemicals to cause subtle but lasting changes to the human body.

The latest studies, published in a special section of the journal Environmental Research, links Bisphenol-A, phthalates and the flame retardants known as PBDEs with reproductive and behavioral effects.

Phthalates — an ingredient in many plastics, fragrances and cosmetics — block the production of testosterone in fetuses, and was linked in both rat and human studies to smaller anogenital distance in male babies, a marker of development related to size of the scrotum.

The federal government just approved a ban on six types of phthalates in products used by children.

Bisphenol-A mimics estrogen, and PBDEs disrupt the thyroid; both showed signs of altering normal development of the brain and behavior in new rat and mice studies.

While independent and governmental scientific panels have raised concerns about Bisphenol-A, the Food and Drug Administration has not restricted its use. Use of some PBDEs has been restricted.

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