Other Areas of Concern

Other health problems that may be caused or exacerbated by exposure to environmental health hazards include reproductive problems, endocrine disruption, and complex immunologic and/or multifactorial disorders such as autoimmune diseases, diabetes, multiple chemical sensitivity and chronic fatigue syndrome. In general, the environmental component of these disorders is poorly understood but a growing body of evidence suggests a important role.

Reproductive and Endocrine Disorders
Exposure to hormone "mimickers" such as PCBs, dioxin, organochlorine pesticides and perchloroethylene, have been associated with an increase in infertility, decreased and/or less viable sperm, and an increase in endometriosis. These chemicals may also be implicated in certain hormonally driven cancers, such as breast and testicular cancer. See also Birth Defects.

Immunologic Disorders
Although probably all of the other environmental health concerns discussed in this website have an immunologic component, with asthma and allergies both being fundamentally disorders of the immune system even though their symptoms are often respiratory, the immune system can also be the target of some environmental toxins. Some immune-specific disorders that may be caused or worsened by environmental exposures include:

probable autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, scleroderma or diabetes;
cancer of the white blood cells (leukemia) or lymph system (lymphoma and myeloma);
multiple chemical sensitivity; and
chronic fatigue syndrome.