Nicholas D. Kristof, “Chemicals and Our Health,” The New York Times, July 16, 2009

Just last month, the Endocrine Society – composed of thousands of doctors in this field – issued a powerful warning that endocrine disruptors including phthalates are ‘a significant concern to public health,’” writes New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in this op-ed article examining the chemicals’ purported role in a range of health problems such as sexual deformities, early onset puberty in girls and the “feminization” of male anatomy. According to Kristof, endocrinologists have increasingly found this “mounting evidence” persuasive enough to raise alarms despite the reassurances of the American Chemistry Council, which has pointed to research like a recent study in the Journal of Urology that casts doubt on the link between phthalates and hypospadias, a birth defect. “One of the conundrums for scientists and journalists alike is how to call prudent attention to murky and uncertain risks, without sensationalizing dangers that may not exist,” opines Kristof, who nevertheless notes a “flurry of scientific articles questioning whether endocrine disruptors are tied to obesity, autism and allergies.”

The article also cites warnings issued by individual experts associated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Endocrine Disruption Exchange, and the Science and Environmental Health Network, the latter of which has criticized the current regulatory system for failing to consider phthalates in the context of a daily chemical cocktail. “If terrorists were putting phthalates in our drinking water, we would be galvanized to defend ourselves and to spend billions of dollars to ensure our safety,” concludes Kristof. “But the risks are just as serious if we’re poisoning ourselves, and it’s time for the Obama administration and Congress to show leadership in this area.”