Guest guest Posted October 3, 2001 Report Share Posted October 3, 2001 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20011004a5.htm Endocrine disrupter discovered in newborn A study carried out by the Environment Ministry found a substance believed to be an endocrine disrupter in the umbilical cord of a newborn baby, the ministry said Wednesday. The study's findings, reported by the ministry's investigative commission on endocrine disrupters, showed that dicyclohexyl phthalate, or DCHP, was detected in the umbilical cord of one of five infants studied. The ministry said DCHP, which is used in some kinds of acrylic paint, cellophane, toys and plastic gloves, has previously been detected in indoor air, but has never been detected in humans -- until now. Endocrine disrupters are chemicals that are believed to interfere with the hormonal functions of people and animals, potentially wreaking havoc on sexual and mental development. , as well as immune functions. In the latest study, the ministry said the umbilical cord of one of the five newborns showed 2,700 nanograms of DCHP per gram of fat. A nanogram is one-billionth of a gram. In research overseas, DCHP has been found to cause abnormalities in lab rats when administered in amounts about 1,000 times over that in the latest find. In Japan, where about 100 tons of DCHP is produced annually, there are no regulations on its emission. Another suspected endocrine disrupter, diethylhexyl phthalate, was found in umbilical cords in the study last year, and again in the latest study, according to the ministry. Twenty analyzed umbilical cords showed concentrations of between 23 picograms and 29 picograms per gram of fat, compared with 8.5 picograms to 30 picograms a year before. A picogram is a trillionth of a gram. Officials attributed the higher levels in umbilical cords to more precise methods of analysis, making the data unsuitable for comparison. The officials said the data were insufficient for drawing any concrete conclusions and that more studies are needed to build upon current surveys. In a separate study targeting levels of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals in wildlife, water and sediment, the eggs of common cormorants inhabiting Tokyo Bay that failed to hatch in the wild showed slightly higher levels of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals than eggs gathered and analyzed before they could hatch, according to the ministry. In addition, six of 245 male frogs examined were found to have slight sexual irregularities, such as cells in their testes typically found in the ovaries of female frogs. Also Wednesday, the ministry added bisphenol A and seven other suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals to a list of chemicals to be given priority attention, bringing the total to 20. Experiments to evaluate the risk of the newly added chemicals will start this year. Bisphenol A is used in plastic, antioxidants, fungicides, dyes and flame retardants. It has been found in school cafeteria eating utensils. Recent laboratory experiments indicate increased doses could induce feminization, so it merits increased attention, ministry officials said. Production of the chemical increased by 25 percent to 400,000 tons in 1999, officials said. In early August, the ministry confirmed for the first time that one suspected endocrine disrupter on the high-priority list -- nonylphenol, which is used in cleaning products and is already being evaluated -- does feminize fish. Some male fish administering the chemical in experiments developed eggs in their testes. The Japan Times: Oct. 4, 2001 © All rights reserved NEW from GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities./ps/info1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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