5 Facts About Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

Substances commonly found in consumer products and the environment are linked to health problems

Authors: Winnie Roberts and Kathy Talkington

A category of widely used chemicals has been found to disrupt the human endocrine system. Research indicates that this disruption can increase the risk of health problems such as reproductive disorders, cancer, diabetes, and more.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with the hormones that regulate our varied and essential bodily functions. These artificial chemicals exist in many everyday products. They are found in cleaning products, food packaging, drinking water, carpets, children’s toys, and many other items. As policymakers, companies, and health and environmental leaders work to minimize human exposure to the most hazardous forms of them, these five facts offer a snapshot of this issue.

• Widespread chemicals—Tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals exist worldwide. The Endocrine Society, a global community of physicians and scientists, estimates that 1,000 or more of those are likely endocrine disruptors. Among the most discussed EDCs are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a widely used, long-lasting group of chemicals also known as “forever chemicals” that are found in cookware, cosmetics, food and food packaging, drinking water, and many other consumer and industrial products; phthalates, which are used to make plastics flexible; and bisphenols, which are often used in the production of plastics and epoxy resins to make items such as baby bottles and food storage containers.

• Human exposure—Virtually all Americans have more than one type of EDC in their blood. For example, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s biomonitoring programs shows that 97% have PFAS and 98% have phthalates in their systems. Many of these chemicals have been associated with serious health conditions, such as diabetes, breast cancer, infertility, and high blood pressure.

• Drinking water quality—The U.S. Geological Survey has estimated that 45% of U.S. drinking water could be contaminated by one or more PFAS chemicals. This estimate is based on an assessment of more than 700 tap water samples taken from residences, businesses, and drinking-water treatment plants across the country from 2016 to 2021.

• Policy successes—Data from the CDC shows that efforts to reduce certain EDCs can work. National and state-level policies as well as corporate actions focused on eliminating or phasing out the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)—a type of EDC used as a flame retardant—have had a measurable effect. From 2005 to 2016, such actions reduced exposure levels among 20-to-39-year-old women by two-thirds.

• State legislation—According to a 2025 report from the Environmental Council of the States, nearly three-quarters of states have passed or proposed legislation related to PFAS. These policies vary widely in scope and specificity. They range from calling for explorations and studies of the issue to banning groups of chemicals, such as removing PFAS from a wide variety of products including textiles, building materials, and cookware. Additionally, as of 2025, at least eight state legislatures have introduced dozens of bills focused on prohibiting or requiring the disclosure of phthalates in cosmetics and other personal care products, medical equipment, and children’s products.

Although policymakers and business leaders have taken important steps to protect people from these chemicals, much work remains not only to better understand the associated negative health effects but also to reduce people’s exposure to harmful EDCs.

Winnie Roberts directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’ conservation support and conservation science teams, and Kathy Talkington directs Pew’s health programs.