Thyroid disrupting chemicals in plastic additives and thyroid health

J Environ Sci Health C Environ Carcinog Ecotoxicol Rev. 2012;30(2):107-51. doi: 10.1080/10590501.2012.681487.

Abstract

The globally escalating thyroid nodule incidence rates may be only partially ascribed to better diagnostics, allowing for the assessment of environmental risk factors on thyroid disease. Endocrine disruptors or thyroid-disrupting chemicals (TDC) like bisphenol A, phthalates, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers are widely used as plastic additives in consumer products. This comprehensive review studied the magnitude and uncertainty of TDC exposures and their effects on thyroid hormones for sensitive subpopulation groups like pregnant women, infants, and children. Our findings qualitatively suggest the mixed, significant (α = 0.05) TDC associations with natural thyroid hormones (positive or negative sign). Future studies should undertake systematic meta-analyses to elucidate pooled TDC effect estimates on thyroid health indicators and outcomes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Endocrine Disruptors / toxicity*
  • Environmental Exposure / adverse effects*
  • Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / toxicity*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Maternal Exposure / statistics & numerical data
  • Phenols / adverse effects*
  • Phthalic Acids / toxicity*
  • Plastics / chemistry
  • Plastics / toxicity*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / chemically induced
  • Pregnancy Complications / epidemiology
  • Thyroid Gland / drug effects
  • Thyroid Hormones / blood
  • Thyroid Hormones / urine
  • Thyroid Nodule / chemically induced*
  • Thyroid Nodule / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Endocrine Disruptors
  • Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
  • Phenols
  • Phthalic Acids
  • Plastics
  • Thyroid Hormones
  • bisphenol A