Exposure to phthalates, a common class of petrochemicals, can happen through air, water or food.  They are contained in cosmetics, cleaning products and consumer goods from wall paper to toys.  Some types of phthalates are not only carcinogens, but they are also known endocrine disruptors.  Glyphosate, one of the most common and highly used herbicides is found in trace amounts in nearly every food item that is made from genetically modified crops.  This endocrine disruptor is especially toxic to human cells in vitro.

Sperm counts worldwide have been cut in half, male infertility has increased, and testicular cancer rates have doubled.  These endocrine disruptors interfere with male hormonal system and are playing have havoc with the basic building blocks of male sexual development.

Many central Florida lakes are heavily polluted with a mixture of pesticides, nutrients and fertilizer – many chemicals are old chemicals like DDT that are persistent.  Scientists studying alligators in central Florida have found evidence that pesticides have the ability to alter the development of testes as well as lower the testosterone levels of the males similar to those of females.  Sexual organs of male alligators nesting in these lakes are 1/3 their normal size and reproduction rate is 90% below average. For several weeks after conception the embryo is neither male nor female.  Sex hormones determine whether the fetus will be a boy or a girl.  In the 7th week of pregnancy the male reproductive tract begins developing.  Chemical exposure is likely behind a 200% increase in male genital birth defects.  After birth the infant is further exposed to chemicals in mother’s milk.  Blood and urine samples show that contaminates are not only in the child at birth, but they stay in the child.

The falling male birthrate is a global phenomenon.  There are 20 heavily industrialized nations where male births have mysteriously declined.  Since 1970 this has added up to almost 3,000,000 fewer baby boys.   Virtually all of the products linked to male reproductive problems are made from petroleum and of the 80,000 chemicals in use 85% have never undergone testing for the impact on the human body.

Synthetic chemicals may be the threat linked to the survival of our species.

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On the other hand, testing is still necessary to determine the toxicity of a product prior to hitting the market.  This short term testing is still effective and accurate for immediate results and to implement policies and guidelines to encourage compliance with environmental requirements.  The Scotts Miracle-Gro company, a producer of pesticides for commercial and consumer lawn and garden uses, knowingly used an insecticide in its wild bird food products that is actually toxic to birds to protect the food from infestation during storage.

Scotts Company pleaded guilty in federal district court in Columbus, Ohio in February 2012 to illegally applying insecticides to its wild bird food products that are toxic to birds.  Scotts was fined over $12.5 million in federal fines and civil penalties for eleven criminal violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act which governs the manufacture, distribution, and sale of pesticides.  Officials also pleaded guilty to falsifying pesticide registration documents, distributing pesticides and misleading and unapproved labels, and distributing unregistered pesticides.

“As the world’s largest marketer of residential use pesticides, Scotts has a special obligation to make certain that it observes the laws governing the sale and use of its products. For having failed to do so, Scotts has been sentenced to pay the largest fine in the history of FIFRA enforcement,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with EPA to assure that pesticides applied in homes and on lawns and food are sold and used in compliance with the laws intended to assure their safety.”

In the plea agreement, Scotts admitted that it applied the pesticides Actellic 5E and Storcide II to its bird food products even though EPA had prohibited this use. Scotts had done so to protect its bird foods from insect infestation during storage. Scotts admitted that it used these pesticides contrary to EPA directives and in spite of the warning label appearing on all Storicide II containers stating, “Storcide II is extremely toxic to fish and toxic to birds and other wildlife.” Scotts sold this illegally treated bird food for two years after it began marketing its bird food line and for six months after employees specifically warned Scotts management of the dangers of these pesticides. By the time it voluntarily recalled these products in March 2008, Scotts had sold more than 70 million units of bird food illegally treated with pesticide that is toxic to birds.

Scotts also pleaded guilty to submitting false documents to EPA and to state regulatory agencies in an effort to deceive them into believing that numerous pesticides were registered with EPA when in fact they were not. The company also pleaded guilty to having illegally sold the unregistered pesticides and to marketing pesticides bearing labels containing false and misleading claims not approved by EPA. The falsified documents submitted to EPA and states were attributed to a federal product manager at Scotts.

Whether it was greed or indifference, Scotts knowingly put a toxic insecticide in bird food to protect it from infestation.  The loss of the product was in fact more important than the animals the food was for.  Capitalism at its worst, I believe this is not an uncommon practice and that the use of chemicals (regardless as to what the package label may state) is probably very widespread and prevalent.  Chemicals are in everything including our water supply and we may even know about any possible side effects until it’s too late.