The homosexual elite and the velvet mafia

[RobSS]

Just now, Macnamara said:

 

what about the other 70 million people in the country?

 

Can't they make their own choice?

 

 

 

 

[Macnamara]

Just now, RobSS said:

 

Can't they make their own choice?

 

no that's the point, chris whitty is making the choice for them and putting fluoride in their water

 

so how are you going to help those 70 million people?

[RobSS]

Just now, Macnamara said:

 

no that's the point, chris whitty is making the choice for them and putting fluoride in their water

 

so how are you going to help those 70 million people?

 

If that happens, then we'll have to find other ways of getting fluoride free water, but if some people don't want to do that, you can't force them.

 

 

 

[Macnamara]

Just now, RobSS said:

If that happens, then we'll have to find other ways of getting fluoride free water, but if some people don't want to do that, you can't force them.

 

but you can't make an informed choice without knowing the truth

 

if chris whitty lies to the public and tells them that fluoride in the water is a good thing then they will in good faith keep drinking the water and you will end up living in a country full of sick people with low IQ's. In order to pay for that you will be taxed to cover the extra drain on the NHS

 

you seem like you don't really care about anyone but yourself rob. I hope you are not representative of the wider LGBT community

[RobSS]

Just now, Macnamara said:

 

but you can't make an informed choice without knowing the truth

 

if chris whitty lies to the public and tells them that fluoride in the water is a good thing then they will in good faith keep drinking the water and you will end up living in a country full of sick people with low IQ's. In order to pay for that you will be taxed to cover the extra drain on the NHS

 

you seem like you don't really care about anyone but yourself rob. I hope you are not representative of the wider LGBT community

 

Of course, I care, but as I've mentioned, you have to prioritise otherwise you'll be overwhelmed. if you care so much about other peoples' health, what are you personally doing about people who eat too much, or who don't do enough exercise, or people who drink too much Coco Cola? Where does your line of thinking end? Do you speak to me in the same way you speak to your friends and family?

 

 

 

 

[Macnamara]

7 minutes ago, RobSS said:

Of course, I care,

 

I'm not convinced

 

7 minutes ago, RobSS said:

but as I've mentioned, you have to prioritise otherwise you'll be overwhelmed. if you care so much about other peoples' health, what are you personally doing about people who eat too much, or who don't do enough exercise, or people who drink too much Coco Cola? Where does your line of thinking end?

 

yes i absolutely do think that the people behind those products are part of 'they' and that they put aspartame into their coca cola etc to dumb people down and make them over weight. Its all part of their war against us

One in ten British people will have diabetes by 2030: Shock warning as obesity crisis doubles the number with the disease

• Levels of diabetes have doubled in the past 15 years as a result of obesity rates
• If this rate continues, 5.5million Britons will be living with diabetes next decade
• Charity forecasts an estimated 87,000 hospital admissions by the year 2030

By Eleanor Hayward Health Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published: 00:00 BST, 6 October 2021 | Updated: 08:14 BST, 6 October 2021

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10062989/One-ten-diabetes-2030-Shock-warning-obesity-crisis-doubles-number-disease.html

 

what do i do about it? I speak out online and offline and if everyone else was doing the same we wouldn't have a problem

 

7 minutes ago, RobSS said:

Do you speak to me in the same way you speak to your friends and family?

 

yes i debate them too and they don't listen to me either which is why they are all jabbed up and they and their friends are experiencing health problems

Edited October 6, 2021 by Macnamara

[RobSS]

Just now, Macnamara said:

 

I'm not convinced

 

 

yes i absolutely do think that the people behind those products are part of 'they' and that they put aspartame into their coca cola etc to dumb people down and make them over weight. Its all part of their war against us

One in ten British people will have diabetes by 2030: Shock warning as obesity crisis doubles the number with the disease

• Levels of diabetes have doubled in the past 15 years as a result of obesity rates
• If this rate continues, 5.5million Britons will be living with diabetes next decade
• Charity forecasts an estimated 87,000 hospital admissions by the year 2030

By Eleanor Hayward Health Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published: 00:00 BST, 6 October 2021 | Updated: 08:14 BST, 6 October 2021

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10062989/One-ten-diabetes-2030-Shock-warning-obesity-crisis-doubles-number-disease.html

 

what do i do about it? I speak out online and offline and if everyone else was doing the same we wouldn't have a problem

 

 

yes i debate them too

 

If your friends and family don't do as you tell them to do, what do you do then?

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by RobSS

[Macnamara]

1 minute ago, RobSS said:

If your friends and family don't do as you tell them to do, what do you do then?

 

i don't 'tell' them to do anything.....my you are a slippery one aren't you?

[Macnamara]

hey rob.....just so you know i see right through you

[RobSS]

Just now, Macnamara said:

 

i don't 'tell' them to do anything.....my you are a slippery one aren't you?

 

I try to treat other people as I'd like to be treated myself.

 

 

[Macnamara]

25 minutes ago, Macnamara said:

lets cut the crap.....the real reason for the corporations and government pushing the whole LGBT thing is not because they care about my gay brother or anyone else that is LGBT

The reason they are pushing it is because they want a world were no men can get it up for a woman anymore and those that can have no sperm able to actually impregnate the woman and they want a world where all the girls have their wombs and tits removed and replaced with a fake dick so that they will never have children

 

^ this

Edited October 6, 2021 by Macnamara

[RobSS]

8 minutes ago, Macnamara said:

hey rob.....just so you know i see right through you

 

You're wrong, and why should I have to prove anything to you? You're being rather pushy and judgemental.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2021 by RobSS

[Macnamara]

Herbicides and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Decline of Smallmouth Bass

Home/Latest News/Herbicides and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Linked to Decline of Smallmouth Bass

Last updated December 28, 2015

 

One of the most likely causes for the population decline of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River are endocrine-disrupting compounds and herbicides, concludes a multi-agency, multi-year study of one of the most complex river systems in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), along with nearly 50 participants and six partner agencies, released findings on Monday that narrow the likely causes from an initial field of 14 candidates to two. PFBC also found that pathogens and parasites are probable contributing factors.

Following a smallmouth bass (SMB) population crash in 2005, and additional observed maladies, such as tumors and lesions on SMB, the team used ground-breaking monitoring strategies to collect more than 30,000 water quality records annually, along with review of existing research to isolate the possible causes keeping young-of-the-year (YOY) SMB from growing to adulthood. The study provides evidence to what Beyond Pesticides suspected back in May, when PFBC confirmed that a rare malignant tumor was found for the first time on a SMB caught by an angler back in the summer of 2014. Though the findings at the time did not point to a specific cause for the cancer found on the SMB, agricultural pesticides, particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals, that have been found in the watershed, likely play a part in the rampant disease issues in SMB in the Susquehanna River.

The next step is to focus on identifying the sources of the endocrine-disrupting compounds and herbicides, and what is causing the increased prevalence and lethality of the pathogens and parasites in smallmouth bass, including monitoring in the tributaries of the Susquehanna.

“We know where the herbicides are being applied most heavily and we know that exposure to them is depressing the immune systems of the bass,” said Fish and Boat Commission executive director John Arway to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re inching closer, but the DEP is still not willing to say it’s the [farm] nutrients reaching the river.”

The Susquehanna River flows from upstate New York, south through Pennsylvania’s agricultural middle, and Maryland, and is the largest source of fresh water entering the Chesapeake Bay. It’s also a major source of agricultural runoff containing phosphorous, nitrogen and sediment pollutants, and natural animal hormones in manure, which could disrupt bass reproduction.

“This study does not identify a single smoking gun,” said John Quigley, DEP Secretary, in a press release. “But it does point the way toward likely causes, which we will continue to pursue. On top of that, through this study, DEP staff developed new approaches to monitoring this complex system, dramatically increasing our water quality monitoring capacity in the Susquehanna River, and providing tools that we can use to ensure fishable, drinkable water statewide.”

Details of the study, a webinar to present the findings of the study, and the full report can be found here.

Last summer, research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) showed a strong correlation between the occurrence of intersex characteristics on fish, which have been found in the Chesapeake Bay region, and areas of high agricultural use in Pennsylvania. Three species of fish were examined in three separate watersheds in the state to assess whether characteristics caused by hormones and hormone-mimicking compounds, such as immature eggs in male fish, were present. In aquatic environments, the presence of these intersex characteristics is widely used as a biomarker for assessing exposure to estrogenic chemicals, as well as anti-androgenic chemicals which inhibit development of male characteristics. Male smallmouth bass from all sites sampled had immature eggs in their testes; however, SMB in the Susquehanna drainage had a significantly higher prevalence and severity of these effects than sites in the Ohio drainage. When compared with the percentage of agricultural land use, which is higher in the Susquehanna, a link was established.

Fish and other aquatic organisms face numerous risks from pesticide exposures, even at low levels. In fact, USGS scientists identified pesticides as one of the contaminants in the Potomac River linked to intersex fish observed there. Atrazine, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world, has been shown to affect reproduction of fish at concentrations below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) water-quality guidelines. Concentrations of atrazine commonly found in agricultural streams and rivers have been associated with a reduction in reproduction and spawning, as well as tissue abnormalities.

In fish and humans, endocrine disrupting effects include direct effects on traditional endocrine glands, their hormones and receptors, such as estrogens, anti-androgens, and thyroid hormones, as well as signaling cascades that affect many of the body’s systems, including reproductive function and fetal development, the nervous system and behavior, the immune and metabolic systems, the liver, bones and many other organs, glands and tissues. Hundreds of scientific articles have been published across the globe demonstrating how a broad selection of chemicals can interfere with the normal development at all ranges of exposure. Scientists discovered effects for some widely used chemicals at concentrations thousands of times less than federal “safe” levels of exposure derived through traditional toxicological tests. Whatever the exposure level, neither fish nor human are protected from most endocrine-disrupting chemicals present in our waterways.

Beyond Pesticides continues to fight to prevent water pollution and harmful agricultural practices. Visit our Threatened Waters page and learn how organic land management practices contribute to healthy waters in the article, “Organic Land Management and the Protection of Water Quality.”

Sources: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

https://www.cornucopia.org/2015/12/herbicides-and-endocrine-disrupting-chemicals-linked-to-decline-of-smallmouth-bass/

[Macnamara]

Endocrine disruptors in furniture

Flame retardants

Furniture and mattresses are often treated with chemicals so that, in the event of a fire, they will burn more slowly.

Some of these flame retardant chemicals have been associated with certain cancers and developmental challenges in children. Some are also known to interfere with the endocrine system and damage the liver and thyroid function.

Flame-retardant chemicals are being used increasingly as we shift from natural materials to plastics in furnishings that burn more easily.

Every time we sit on the sofa or lie down to sleep we can be exposed to these harmful substances. Flame retardants can separate from the foam cushions in a sofa, and are released into the air. We can then inhale the substances.

The chemical particles can also get mixed up with household dust, and we can ingest them via our hands and mouths – for example when we’re eating. A child spending time on the floor is likely to come into contact with dust.

The law requires some products in our homes to be fire resistant. But manufacturers don’t have to use harmful chemicals to do this. Smart design and choice of materials can ensure products meet fire regulations without the need for chemical treatments. This is especially true of mattresses and sofas.

Stain repellents

Flame retardants are not the only chemicals to watch out for in furniture and fabrics. Sofas, chairs, mattresses and carpets can also be treated with stain repellents.

A group of chemicals called PFAS are good at repelling water and grease, so they are often used in non-staining, water-resistant products. We can be exposed to PFAS through skin contact. We can also be exposed when PFAS enters the environment and our drinking water. This can happen, for example, when it is released during washing of fabrics that have been treated with PFAS stain repellents.

PFAS are found all over the world, including in the bloodstream and breast milk of humans and animals. They are linked to a wide range of health problems such as cancer, hormone disruption, reduced fertility and impacts on the immune system.

https://chemtrust.org/furniture/

[Macnamara]

Hypothyroidism Linked to Flame Retardants

Written by Kathleen Doheny

 

With commentary by lead study author Youssef Oulhote, PhD, research associate, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

Younger women exposed to chemicals called PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) may be at higher risk of having a sluggish thyroid, according to a new study.

PBDEs are flame retardant chemicals, used in textiles, furniture and electronics, among other products. "What we found is, there is a link between exposure to these flame retardants, especially some of them, and the risk of hypothyroidism [abnormally low thyroid function]," says study leader Youssef Oulhote, PhD, research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health.

In the U.S., PBDEs have been phased out of production through voluntary agreements between the makers of the flame retardants and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Yet, the chemicals can linger for years in products. 

Study details

Oulhote and his team looked at 745 women enrolled in the Canadian Health Measures Survey, which includes people ages 6 to 79. For this study, he focused in on women ages 30 to 79 who had blood measurements of PBDEs and information on thyroid functioning. They found 90 women who reported they had hypothyroidism, as informed by their doctor, and they used thyroid hormone replacement medication.

The researchers find a link between the level of the PBDEs in the blood and low thyroid functioning. The increase in risk depended on the type of PBDEs; they measured 9 different types. "Those with detectable level of BDE100 [one type] were 80 percent more likely to have hypothyroidism than those without detectable levels," Oulhote says.

There was no association for one of the PBDEs, he says, and none of the risks were higher than that found for the BDE100.

The thyroid gland sits low on the front of the neck, secreting hormones that affect metabolism, growth, development and body temperature. Healthy brain development in children relies on healthy thyroid functioning.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Explaining the link

The risk was higher for those ages 30 to 50 than those above 50, the experts found. This makes sense, Oulhote says, because ''older women, more than 50, would not have been exposed before puberty," which he believes may be the critical window of susceptibility. The chemicals were very common in the 1970s, when the younger women would have been going through puberty, he says.

While there may be more than one mechanism for how the chemicals trigger thyroid problems, he says, what may happen is that the chemical mimic a thyroid hormone because they are structurally similar. The chemical binds to the receptor meant for the thyroid hormone, in the process disrupting the endocrine system, he speculates.

The chemical-thyroid connection

The new study adds strength to other research, from animal studies, finding a link between the chemical and a thyroid problem, says Yawei Zhang, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of environmental health sciences, Yale School of Public Health.

The study cannot prove cause-effect, she says, due to its design, so more research is necessary to confirm these results. Even so, she says, it adds valuable information. Her own research has suggested that elevated PBDEs may increase the risk of thyroid cancer.

The new study follows many other that find PBDEs can disrupt the body's normal hormone balance, says Veena Singla, PhD, staff scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco. Besides the effect found for the thyroid, she says, ''other studies find that exposures to PBDEs in early life, especially before birth, are associated with serious problems like IQ loss, hyperactivity, and low birth weigh in children.''

Manufacturer's view

The American Chemistry Council, which represents makers of the retardants, contends that the debate is one-sided, and controversy centers on the type of flame retardant, PBDEs, that are largely phased out.

It also maintains that fire protection is important.

Consumer action

To minimize your exposure, become a label reader, experts say. In California, a law passed last year states that furniture sold there must have a label telling buyers if the product has the chemicals. "Many companies are including the new California label on their furniture sold throughout the U.S. and Canada," says Singla, "so consumers everywhere should look for the new label and ask the store or manufacturer for a product that does not contain harmful and unnecessary flame retardant chemicals."

https://www.endocrineweb.com/news/thyroid-diseases/18891-hypothyroidism-linked-exposure-flame-retardants

[RobSS]

[Macnamara]

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Introduction

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins.

Where is BPA found?

Polycarbonate plastics have many applications including use in some food and drink packaging, e.g., water and infant bottles, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment, and medical devices. Epoxy resins are used as lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some dental sealants and composites may also contribute to BPA exposure.

How does BPA get into the body?

The primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through the diet. While air, dust, and water are other possible sources of exposure, BPA in food and beverages accounts for the majority of daily human exposure.

Bisphenol A can leach into food from the protective internal epoxy resin coatings of canned foods and from consumer products such as polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles. The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container. BPA can also be found in breast milk.

Why are people concerned about BPA?

One reason people may be concerned about BPA is because human exposure to BPA is widespread. The 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found detectable levels of BPA in 93% of 2517 urine samples from people six years and older. The CDC NHANES data are considered representative of exposures in the United States. Another reason for concern, especially for parents, may be because some animal studies report effects in fetuses and newborns exposed to BPA.

If I am concerned, what can I do to prevent exposure to BPA?

Some animal studies suggest that infants and children may be the most vulnerable to the effects of BPA. Parents and caregivers can make the personal choice to reduce exposures of their infants and children to BPA:

• Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.
• Plastic containers have recycle codes on the bottom. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA.
• Reduce your use of canned foods.
• When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.
• Use baby bottles that are BPA free.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/sya-bpa/index.cfm

[RobSS]

[Macnamara]

1 minute ago, RobSS said:

 

tell me what chris whitty is doing about all of these endocrine disrupting chemicals being used in day to day products?

 

why is he not only doing NOTHING about any of that but is in fact putting fluoride in the nations water whilst pushing mRNA jabs onto the population that haven't even finished their stage 3 trials?

[Macnamara]

Bisphenol-A in Baby Bottles

 

August 11, 2007, 10:30AM - by Jane Mundy
 

Seattle, WAWhat do baby bottles, flame retardants and some resins have in common? They all contain Bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used to make polycarbonate plastic resins, epoxy resins, and other products. Because this kind of plastic is lightweight and heat resistant (among other attributes) it is used in a wide variety of products including reusable food and drink containers and baby bottles.

Research has proven that BPA leaches from plastic bottles when heated but also escapes from baby bottles with regular washings.

Some experts believe the chemical is a serious public health hazard and should be banned, while others-- such as manufacturers of baby bottles—say there is no danger. Avent America, Inc, one of the largest US baby bottle manufacturers, confirms that "our baby bottles are made from FDA-approved polycarbonate plastic which has been used in the manufacturing of baby bottles for over 30 years...the overwhelming body of scientific evidence and research shows that this material is totally safe."

A billion dollar class action lawsuit has been filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court against six leading manufacturers of baby bottles: Avent America, Evenflo, Gerber, Playtex, Dr. Brown's and Nalgene. All six manufacturers use BPA in the production of many of their plastic baby bottles and toddler sippy cups.

Since the late 1990s, studies have indicated that exposure to BPA, even in low doses, could cause adverse side effects. BPA's molecular structure is similar to estrogen, the hormone responsible for sexual development.

Environmental Health Perspectives recently published a report stating that "BPA exposure may interfere with the development of normal sex differences in cognitive function. In particular, BPA contamination could have long-term effects on children's learning potential."

Newborn babies up till the age of three are most vulnerable to BPA contamination because their reproductive system is developing at this time.
High levels of BPA could activate female hormones in males, cause hypospadias-- a birth defect of the penis where the urinary tract opening is not at its normal place at the tip, but is on the underside of the shaft-- and undescended testicles. It can trigger early puberty, and it has also been linked to infertility. Studies have shown that low levels of BPA have affected the reproductive system of rodents. Other studies have linked low doses of BPA to cancers, impaired immune function, obesity, diabetes and hyperactivity.

https://www.bigclassaction.com/articles/bpa-breast-cancer/bpa-baby-bottle-01262.html

[Liam3880]

46 minutes ago, RobSS said:

 

It's may be exaggerated now, although no one I know in London cares anything about what the church says any more, but up until the 1960's, it was a big issue. Even though there were many closet gays in the clergy and in congregations, they had to be secretive about it because priests preached that homosexuals would go to hell. Being taught that it was a sin, and with it also being against the law, forced people to hide the true nature of their sexuality. It also made it possible for people to be blackmailed.

 

 

Thatll be mostly liberal/secular London types pushing their narrative, the church was no more homophobic than any other part of society 

[RobSS]

Just now, Liam3880 said:

Thatll be mostly liberal/secular London types pushing their narrative, the church was no more homophobic than any other part of society 

 

Up until 1967, homosexuality was illegal for goodness sake!

 

 

 

 

 

[Macnamara]

4 minutes ago, RobSS said:

 

ah so you are just here to mock conspiracy theorists.....

 

if you are 'normal' rob then you can keep it

 

''Plastic made with bisphenol A (BPA) produces trans-generational changes in genes and behavior. It has been positively linked to obesity and thyroid dysfunction. ''

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-018-7126-0

Edited October 6, 2021 by Macnamara

[Macnamara]

Phthalates(THAL-ates)
The Everywhere Chemical
What are phthalates?
Phthalates are a family of man-made chemical compounds developed in the last century to be used in the manufacture of plastics, solvents, and personal care products. They are colorless, odorless, oily liquids that do not evaporate easily and do not chemically bind to the material they are added to.

What negative health effects have phthalates been shown to have in laboratory animals?
Very few studies have examined the health effects of phthalates on humans. In lab animals, phthalate exposure has been found to be associated with numerous reproductive health and developmental problems such as:• Early onset of puberty.• Interfering with the male reproductive tract development.• Interfering with the natural functioning of the hormone system.• Causing reproductive and genital defects.• Lower testosterone levels in adolescent males.• Lower sperm count in adult males.
Phthalates are weak endocrine disruptors and androgen blocking chemicals. This means that when absorbed into the body phthalates can either mimic or block female hormones, or in males, suppress the hormones involved in male sexual development.

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/assets/docs/j_q/phthalates_the_everywhere_chemical_handout_508.pdf

[Macnamara]

1 minute ago, RobSS said:

 

Fair enough, I'll leave you with your catalogue of worries.

 

 

if you want to belittle peoples concerns here then why are you even here?

'Gender-bending' chemicals found to 'feminise' boys

Life 27 May 2005

By Andy Coghlan

“Gender-bending” chemicals mimicking the female hormone oestrogen can disrupt the development of baby boys, suggests the first evidence linking certain chemicals in everyday plastics to effects in humans.

The chemicals implicated are phthalates, which make plastics more pliable in many cosmetics, toys, baby-feeding bottles and paints and can leak into water and food.

All previous studies suggesting these chemicals blunt the influence of the male hormone testosterone on healthy development of males have been in animals. “This research highlights the need for tougher controls of gender-bending chemicals,” says Gwynne Lyons, toxics adviser to the WWF, UK. Otherwise, “wildlife and baby boys will be the losers”.

The incriminating findings came from a study of 85 baby boys born to women exposed to everyday levels of phthalates during pregnancy. It was carried out by Shanna Swan at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York, US, and colleaguesan index of feminisation, she measured the “anogenital distance” (AGD) between the anus and to the base of the penis. She also measured the volume of each boy’s penis. Earlier studies have shown that the AGD is twice in boys what it is in girls, mainly because in boys the hormone testosterone extends the length of the perineum separating the anus from the testicles.

Undescended testicles

In animals, AGD is reduced by phthalates – which mimic oestrogen – which keep testosterone from doing its normal job. At higher doses, animals develop more serious abnormalities such as undescended testicles and misplaced openings to the urethra on the penis – a group of symptoms called “phthalate syndrome” in animals.

When Swan’s team measured concentrations of nine phthalate metabolites in the urine of pregnant women, they found that four were linked with shorter AGD in sons born to women showing high exposure levels.

Although none of the boys developed abnormal genitals, the quarter of mothers who were exposed to the highest concentrations of phthalates were much more likely to have had boys with short AGDs compared with the quarter of mothers who had the lowest exposures to the chemicals.

And although all the boys had genitals classified as “normal”, 21% of the boys with short AGDs had incomplete testicular descent, compared with 8% of other boys. And on average, the smaller the AGD, the smaller the penis.

Changing masculinisation

Swan believes that at higher exposures, boys may suffer from testicular dysgenesis syndrome – the human collection of more serious abnormalities which corresponds to “phthalate syndrome”.

“We’re not exactly seeing testicular dysgenesis syndrome, but a cluster of endpoints consistent with it,” said Swan on at an international conference on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in San Diego, US.

“If you see this, you’re very likely to see every other aspect of masculinisation changed too,” says Fred vom Saal, professor of reproductive biology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, US.

Vom Saal says this could include behavioural changes like those seen in animals, including an aversion to “rough-and-tumble” play and a reduction in aggressiveness.

Criticising methods

Environmentalists say the results strengthen the case for a ban or restriction on some phthalates in baby toys, as has been proposed in Europe and California.

But phthalate manufacturers maintain that the chemicals have been thoroughly tested and are safe. They are also critical of aspects of the study. David Cadogan, director of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates, points out that just one urine sample was taken from each pregnant woman, which cannot rule out drastic variations in exposure over time.

Also, he says that all AGD measurements should have been taken in babies exactly the same age, not in babies ranging from three to 24 months in age as in the study. The disparity in ages meant that complicated mathematical analyses had to be applied which may have made it more difficult to distinguish genuine differences in AGD from differences accounted for by age or weight.

Swan’s results will appear in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7440-gender-bending-chemicals-found-to-feminise-boys/

Edited October 6, 2021 by Macnamara