Endocrine Disruptors Impair Women’s Fertility, May Lead to PCOS, Major Review Finds

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)—substances that interfere with the body’s hormone systems—may contribute to a wide range of female reproductive health problems, including reduced fertility, early or delayed puberty, premature menopause, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a new review of more than 250 human and animal studies.

Researchers increasingly suspect that environmental toxins, detected in everything from urine and blood serum to breast milk and amniotic fluid, play a significant role in increasingly common female reproductive health disorders.

EDCs include a wide array of everyday chemicals in our environment that are produced and marketed by industry. They include plastic additives such as phthalates and bisphenols in food packaging, household items, and personal care products, as well as pesticides that contaminate soil, water, air, and food.