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Suspicions about hormone disrupters were raised a few years ago by Theodora Colborn, a zoologist with the World Wildlife Fund who did a study on the reproductive health of Great Lakes wildlife in the late 1980s. Colborn discovered that the young of 16 predator species, including fish, birds, reptiles and mammals, were failing to survive to adulthood or could not reproduce if they did. All the animals ate fish from the Great Lakes, which were contaminated with a variety of hormone-like chemicals...
...Colborn suspected a cause-and-effect relationship between pollution and fertility problems -- and by extension a possible danger to humans. She began collecting human epidemiological studies, which suggested to her that human fetal exposure to such chemicals as PCBs could produce disorders affecting behavior, immune-system functioning, memory and learning. She also surveyed the literature on humans exposed to diethylstilbestrol, or DES, a synthetic drug that is related to estrogen. DES can be used to prevent miscarriage, treat prostate and breast cancer or reduce the symptoms of menopause; it can even promote growth in sheep and cows...
Since no one seemed to be studying the impact of chemicals on reproduction in any systematic way, Colborn organized a 1991 meeting in Racine, Wisconsin, and invited 21 scientists representing 17 disciplines ranging from toxicology to zoology to endocrinology. "No one seemed to know what the others were doing," she says. "Most of the people didn't know anyone else in the room." Colborn also recalls that some of the participants were skeptical about the whole thing. Nonetheless, when they got down to discussing the problems Colborn and others had found in animals exposed to chemicals -- thyroid damage, immune deficiencies...
...Mark Colborn...
...mound, Jim Colborn (20-12, 3.18 ERA) leads a crew which was bolstered by the acquisition of lefty Clyde Wright from California. In the outfield, Dave May stands out from a generally lackluster crew. In all, a fairly solid bunch. But not a division winner. Prediction: fourth...