Endocrine Disruption In Scientific Research

The topic of endocrine disruption, and the potential consequences for human health, is a popular area of investigation for many scientific researchers. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds that have the capability of modifying hormone signaling while possibly effecting the development of both the nervous and reproductive systems, as well as enabling the development of cancer (Site 1). Of all the possible EDCs, phthalates seem to be one of the best-studied and most habitually encountered EDC. According to a study that investigated EDCs and asthma-associated chemicals in consumer products, phthalates are commonly used as solvents in personal care products, adhesives, detergents, lubricants, as well as pesticides despite the short

It was hypothesized that exposure to phthalate metabolites DnBP, DEHP, DEP and BBzP would be linked to asthmatic children (cite). Three hundred inner-city women, along with their children, participating in the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health longitudinal cohort were recruited to participate in the current study. In the aforementioned women, phthalate metabolite concentrations were measured using a spot urine sample during the third trimester, as well as from the children at ages 3, 5, and 7. The urine samples were then sent to the CDC for further analysis of the four metabolites formerly mentioned. At 5, 6, 7, and 11 years of age, information was gathered from the mother via a reliable questionnaire pertaining to the asthma-like symptoms of their child (cite). Additionally, a pulmonologist and allergist assessed the children following the first maternal account of wheeze and/or any other respiratory symptom, and/or the use of an asthmatic inhaler in the previous 12 months on recurrent follow-up questionnaires. During examination, physicians used standardized diagnostic criterion to classify the children as having or not having present-day asthma (site). Contrastingly, the children who hadn’t

This study was only executed in the inner city, which would limit the diversity of the population being tested. Furthermore, the authors include a table representing the characteristics of the participants and one can see that the location of the study only includes African American or Dominican participants. Therefore, the lack of ethnic diversity prevents one from generalizing the results across all other ethnicities. Lastly, the authors screened the women participants prior to involvement in the study. The authors only wanted women who were non-smokers, which is another weakness because including these women could have potentially shown a distinct difference between developing asthma as a child of a non-smoker versus smoker. Contrastingly, this study had several strengths. The authors used numerous sources to support the background information provided in the beginning of the paper, which was important because it demonstrates the extensive research they’ve done on the topic. Additionally, the authors mentioned and adjusted for potential confounders that would affect the results of this study, which further validated the results. Also, the overall presentation of the paper was very useful to the audience. For example, the subdivisions underneath the results section were helpful because it allowed me to view the results of each category separately instead of having them presented all at once in one long