Environmental Estrogens

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Environmental Estrogens

• Ecology Presentation
• Drew Andersen, Joseph Vasquez and Simone Reyes

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What are we talking about?

• Introduction
• What is estrogen?
• Environmental Estrogens and Humans
• Danger of excess hormones
• Environmental Estrogens and Animals
• How does estrogen reach animals?
• How it affects species
• Conclusion
• What measures are being taken to stop estrogen
  pollution?

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Estrogenwhat is it?

• Any of several steroid hormones produced
  chiefly by the ovaries and responsible for
  promoting estrus and the development and
  maintenance of female secondary sex
  characteristics.

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The Endocrine System

• Your body produces its own chemicals and uses
  them to control certain functions, and the main
  system that coordinates these chemicals is called
  the endocrine system.
• It influences almost every cell, organ, and
  function of our bodies. The endocrine system is
  instrumental in regulating mood, growth and
  development, tissue function, metabolism, and
  sexual function and reproductive processes.
• In general, the endocrine system is in charge of
  body processes that happen slowly.

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Environmental Estrogen

• Def
• Man-made chemical compounds that affect sexual
  development in different species.
• Found in pesticides, plastic production
  byproducts and synthetic hormone waste

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The Effect on Humans

• Compounds found in plastic products used to wrap
  or contain food and beverages have aroused
  concerns as possible cancer-causing agents
  because they can sometimes leach out of the
  plastic and migrate into the food, especially
  after heating or when the plastic is old or
  scratched.
•  
• Children are going through puberty earlier which
  is an unnatural way for the body to develop
  physically and mentally. 

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Its Everywhere

• Human bodies can develop a defense mechanism to
  rid estrogens but its the quantity that takes
  over.
• Farmers give their livestock estrogen to make
  them bigger and in turn, more expensive to sell.
  However, the side effects are when the livestock
  is eaten by humans these estrogens get into the
  human body and can cause major side effects.

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Beef Its whats for dinner.
And so is Estrogen (?!)
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How does Estrogen reach Animals?

• Animals throughout the world are undergoing
  unnatural sexual changes in response to
  environmental pollution. Scientists warn that the
  gender-bending effects of certain man-made
  substances and human sewage seriously threaten
  polar bears, alligators, frogs, mollusks, and
  other wildlife.
• Synthetic compounds and plant products present in
  the environment have been found to affect
  hormonal functions in various ways
• More than 60 substances, including dioxin, DDT
  and PCB have been identified as environmental
  estrogens.
• The manufacturing of plastics and other synthetic
  materials
• Pesticides like DDT, DDE, dieldrin, dicofol,
  kepone, mirex

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How it affects species

• Animals throughout the world are undergoing
  unnatural sexual and physical changes in response
  to environmental pollution.
• It affects animals with interfering with its
  endocrine systems, leading to adverse health
  effects that can be passed to offspring.
• Male species have been found turning into female.
• Males are becoming more sterile. Zebra fish, upon
  examination, researchers found that none of the
  second-generation male fish had normal testes,
  and they did not produce expressible semen.

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• Animals are being found with both male and
  female genitals.
• Polar bears near the North Pole have been
  found with both female and male genitals. They
  are genetic females and some have had cubs, but
  they also have small penises in front of their
  vaginas. Scientists suspect PCBs in their fishy
  diet.
• Decreased fertility, decreased hatching, and
  increase in birth deformities.
• There was a case of PCBs in Delaware River fish.
  Sewage treatment plants and estuary sediments are
  believe to be the sources. The Minneapolis Star
  Tribune reported in April 07 on male walleye fish
  from the Mississippi River with such high levels
  of estrogen and low levels of testosterone that
  their breeding ability may be impaired. Female
  walleye taken near sewage treatment plants had
  five times the normal level of estrogens in their
  blood, which could prevent ovulation.

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• Alligator farmers told officials that only 4.4
  of the 1,033 eggs they had collected were
  hatching, compared to the normal rate of 50.
  They were told that practically none hatched in
  the lake last season and there have been
  "unexplained deaths" of turtles, snakes and fish.
  
• Frogs and other amphibians are dying out or
  showing bizarre changes like extra legs or
  missing eyes.
• Sperm whales who live in depths of 1,200 - 3,600
  feet have dangerous chemicals similar to DDT and
  PCBs in their blubber.

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How can we help?

• Recycle.
• Encourage individuals and businesses to
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Endorse organic
• products.

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• http//www.gdrc.org/uem/waste/e-estrogens.html
• http//www.inmotionmagazine.com/despat.html
• http//e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/learning.html
  
• http//www.scienceagogo.com/news/20041004203006dat
  a_trunc_sys.shtml
• http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/estrogen
• http//www.madsci.org/dtm/estro.html
• http//www.worldwidehealthcenter.net/article.php?a
  rticle129
• http//www.greenfacts.org/endocrine-disruptors/lev
  el-1

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• The End.