Does exposure to plastics make boys less masculine?Toronto Star: A new study suggests that in utero exposure to certain plastics may change behaviour in boys, making them less masculine.
Researchers at the University of Rochester examined the play habits of children aged 4 to 7 years old. The mothers of 145 youngsters had previously volunteered to be tested during pregnancy. Those boys born to women with higher levels of exposure to phthalates were less likely to play with toys like guns or trucks, or exhibit play behaviour typical of their gender, such as roughhousing or participating in sports...
The affected boys did not display feminine qualities, such as increased play with dolls. Instead, they acted in ways less masculine than peers whose mothers were not exposed to high levels of phthalates during pregnancy.
'They're playing in more gender neutral ways -- the sports were quite neutral, for instance,' said Dr. Shanna Swan, the lead researcher. 'What it does suggest is that (the effects) could manifest in other ways -- in verbal ability, in spatial ability, and so on, which are also sexually dimorphic.'...
The phthalates examined in Swan's study -- DEHP and DEB -- can be found in commonly used flooring products, PVC shower curtains, and a variety of textiles and dyes found in many homes... Swan believes that the main source of phthalate exposure for the women in her study was through food -- either through the packaging of processed foods or storing and heating of food in plastic containers...
There were no discernible effects on girls in the study
