September is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness Month, spotlighting a hormonal disorder affecting many women.
Chemicals in everyday products may be one cause of this chronic health condition.
The disorder, also known as PCOS, is the most common hormonal condition affecting women of reproductive age globally, according to a 2024 study. PCOS is estimated to affect between 8 percent and 13 percent of women, yet as many as 70 percent who struggle with the condition are believed to be undiagnosed.
PCOS leads to an imbalance of reproductive hormones. It can cause infertility, menstrual irregularities, overproduction of a class of male sex hormones known as androgens, weight gain, acne and other issues. These symptoms can develop as soon as puberty begins.
We don’t know exactly what causes PCOS. But chemicals known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, may be at fault, according to a recent peer-reviewed study. These are substances, found in many consumer products, that interfere with the hormone system, affecting reproduction.
Linking EDCs to PCOS
Peer-reviewed papers have connected exposure to EDCs to a higher risk of developing PCOS. The association is EDCs’ potential to interfere with the normal functioning of the hormone system.
But how are people exposed to these chemicals?
EDCs are found in our drinking water, food and food packaging, home furnishings, clothes and even receipts. Trying to eliminate daily exposure to them is all but impossible.
The chemicals are also found in many personal care products – and the average woman uses 13 daily, according to an EWG survey. EDCs include some of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, heavy metals, pesticides, phthalates, parabens and flame retardants, which are also found in products many people use daily.
Chemical regulation falls short
Despite the known health threats, the federal government’s regulation of EDCs and other harmful chemicals in personal care products has fallen short.
The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for chemicals in cleaners, drinking water, pesticides and other industrial applications. The 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act gives the agency the power to regulate the production, import, use and disposal of specific substances.
But the toxics law didn’t require that the over 60,000 chemicals that were already in use provide proof of safety to stay on the market. A 2016 update to the law now lets the EPA review and regulate some of them.
The Food and Drug Administration oversees chemicals in pharmaceuticals and sunscreen, in addition to personal care products and food. Regulation of chemicals like EDCs has lagged behind other countries’.
But with the enactment of the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, in 2022, the FDA gained more control over cosmetics, introducing recall authority, registration requirements for manufacturing facilities and improved labeling.
Even though the law advances U.S. cosmetic regulation, it does not require the FDA to review or restrict harmful chemicals.
Reducing your exposure to EDCs
Although you can’t entirely avoid contact with EDCs in your daily routine, some simple lifestyle changes can help reduce your exposure:
- Use EWG’s Tap Water Database to find the chemicals your drinking water may contain. Our water filter guide is a good resource to find a water filter within your budget.
- Shop organic, when possible, or use EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ to identify which fruits and vegetables are most heavily contaminated with pesticides, since they can disrupt the hormone system.
- Browse Skin Deep®, EWG’s guide to toxic chemicals in personal care products, for help with finding products that might be made without EDCs. Look for the EWG Verified® mark when you shop, or search for it in Skin Deep. It shows products made with our strictest standards for health and transparency.
- Avoid furniture made with flame retardants, such as PBDE, which have been reported to be EDCs. They can be found in mattresses, couches, carpets, rugs, and furnishings with foam.
