Commercial pesticide sprayer in action.
Credit: whollygrael.com

SAN DIEGO — Common chemicals that disrupt human hormones could be costing more than €150bn ($165.4bn; £108.5bn) a year in damage to human health in Europe, a series of studies claims.

The data suggests the high economic impact of chemicals in pesticides, plastics and flame retardants.

The team, led by New York University, said the estimates were conservative.

However, experts cautioned the findings were “informed speculation” and called for more detailed research.

The data was presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrinology Society.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can be physically similar to the hormones that naturally control our body’s physiology so mimic their function. They can also block the function of hormones.

They have been linked with declining sperm counts, some cancers, impaired intelligence, obesity and diabetes. The main concern surrounds their impact during early development.

The authors of the study argued that limiting exposure would have significant benefits.

‘There is uncertainty’

In the EU, one of the most famous disrupting chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA), has been banned in