Dr. Woodruff discussed the potential for industry-encouraged delays in regulation and testing of chemicals for hormone disrupting effects pointing to the example of the pesticide, atrazine, as one chemical we already know is an hormone disruptor but has not been regulated based on that effect. My colleague, Jen Sass has blogged about atrazine and NRDC recently released a report on the widespread contamination of water sources throughout the U.S.

Though pesticides are not regulated based on hormone disrupting effects, there is at least a minimum amount of data that must be submitted to EPA before a pesticide is approved for use. However, this is not the case for the tens of thousands of non-pesticide chemicals which are used in everyday products. The radio interview went on to discuss weaknesses in the current law that regulates these chemicals, theToxic Substance Control Act. NRDC has been working with a larger coalition to reform this law to ensure that all chemicals are tested for safety before they are introduced into commerce. Dr. Woodruff also got her interviewer a little concerned about the chemical, triclosan, which is added to soap and other "antimicrobial" products. Triclosan is also an endocrine disrupting chemical that interferes with thryoid hormone, a hormone important for proper development of the brain and nervous system.

A handful of endocrine disruptors like bisphenol A (BPA) and triclosan are the visible "poster children" for chemical policy reform, but there are thousands upon thousands of chemicals in products on the shelves that have not necessarily been proven safe.  That's why we need to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act, as my colleagues Daniel Rosenberg discusses here.