“Human-made problem”: Chemicals exposure causes cross-generational malfunctions, finds research

19 Jun 2023 --- Adverse cognitive effects linked to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposure, a type of endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) present in packaging, food, water, air and personal products, have the potential to be passed down through generations, according to an animal study by the Endocrine Society.

Packaging is a common source of many endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as bisphenols and phthalates. “The enormous volume of plastic packaging the world consumes and uses is a primary contributor of EDCs to our bodies and the environment,” Dr. Heather Patisaul, the chair of the Endocrine Society’s Advocacy and Public Outreach Core Committee, tells Packaging Insights.

PCBs can mimic the effect of the estrogen hormone in the body, contributing to various neuroendocrine, metabolic and reproductive problems.

Packaging has also been a significant source of PFAS exposure. Chemicals are now in every water system ever tested, rain and the snow on the top of Mount Everest, says Patisaul.

“To fully protect people from EDCs, we have to stop manufacturing and using them as broadly as we are now. There are certainly essential use cases, and those should not include their use in food, packaging, personal care products, toys, furniture or other household items,” she asserts.

PCBs can mimic the effect of the estrogen hormone in the body, causing neuroendocrine, metabolic and reproductive problems.Hereditary malfunctions
The study researchers administered a common PCB mixture called Aroclor 1221 to pregnant female rats. The adults, their offspring and future grandchildren were all tested on behavioral tasks to assess pleasure-seeking, ability to pay attention and cognitive flexibility.

Grandchildren of rats exposed to the PCB mixture were more interested in eating for pleasure, according to the results of the sucrose preference test. While all of the tested animals preferred the sucrose solution to water, the grandchildren of mothers exposed to the PCB mixture consumed more of the sucrose solution.

The same rats had an impaired ability to switch between tasks or learn new rules. However, only the male grandchildren were more likely to become fixated with a visual cue, which is common in disorders such as ADHD.

The PCB mixture impaired different aspects of cognitive behavior between male and female rats, depending on the life stage when they were exposed. According to the researchers, it is unclear which biological systems might be driving this.

Avoiding chemicals?
The presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in water, food and personal care products is almost universal in the US and generally more prevalent than in places like the EU, which have tighter regulations, explains Patisaul.

“Exposure can be avoided to some extent by using apps and other shopping tools to help buy products with fewer chemicals or by making lifestyle changes such as buying organic foods, fragrance-free products and using a reverse osmosis or activated charcoal water filter,” she says.

“In general, however, it’s virtually impossible to entirely avoid exposure” but Patisaul says EDC exposure is “a completely solvable problem.”

“It [EDC exposure] is a human-made problem that the packaging industry and other industries that use a lot of EDCs could show leadership on and make significant change. Consumers have been demanding safer stuff for decades and it’s now up to manufacturers to meet that demand. I’m convinced we can do better. We have to. Our future generations depend on it.”

By Natalie Schwertheim

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