12 Endocrine Disruptors in Your Body

Avoid these chemicals and the consequences of their hormone-disrupting effects

Industrial chemicals known to be hazardous to us remain prevalent in our products and environment. WAYHOME studio/Shutterstock

Endocrine disruptors are scary. These synthetic chemicals are absorbed into the body and either mimic or block hormones and disrupt the body’s normal function.

Unfortunately, endocrine disruptors are in many products, as the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen List of Endocrine Disruptors reveals. The list includes the worst endocrine disruptors. Since these 12 are so scary and so pervasive, the following is an overview of what each one is and how to avoid exposure.

1. BPA

BPA, which stands for bisphenol A, tops the list. It’s used to make polycarbonate plastics, including plastic dinnerware and some toys. BPA epoxy resins are used to line food cans. It has been linked to breast and other cancers and shown to affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals. A Centers for Disease Control study of 2,517 participants ages 6 years and older found BPA in the urine of almost all of the people tested.