Bisphenol A and phthalate esters are used as additives in the manufacture of plastic materials, but their ability to leach out with age and heat has resulted in their becoming ubiquitous contaminants of the ecosystem including within human body tissues. Over recent years, these compounds have been shown to possess endocrine disrupting properties with an ability to interfere in the actions of many hormones and to contribute to human health problems. Much of the reported disruptive activity has been in relation to the action of estrogens, androgens, and thyroid hormones, and concerns have been raised for adverse consequences on female and male reproductive health, thyroid function, metabolic alterations, brain development/function, immune responses, and development of cancers in hormone‐sensitive tissues. A recurring theme throughout seems to be that there are windows of susceptibility to exposure in utero and in early postnatal life, which may then result in disease in later life without any need for further exposure. This commentary highlights key issues in a historical context and raises questions regarding the many data gaps.

中文翻译：

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作为内分泌干扰物的塑料化学成分：概述和评论。

双酚 A 和邻苯二甲酸酯在塑料材料的制造中被用作添加剂，但它们随着时间和热量的增长而浸出的能力导致它们成为生态系统中无处不在的污染物，包括在人体组织内。近年来，这些化合物已被证明具有内分泌干扰特性，能够干扰许多激素的作用并导致人类健康问题。大部分报道的破坏性活动与雌激素、雄激素和甲状腺激素的作用有关，并且对女性和男性生殖健康、甲状腺功能、代谢改变、大脑发育/功能、免疫反应的不良后果提出了担忧, 以及激素敏感组织中癌症的发展。贯穿始终的一个反复出现的主题似乎是在子宫内和出生后早期存在对暴露的易感性窗口，这可能在以后的生活中导致疾病而无需进一步暴露。这篇评论突出了历史背景下的关键问题，并提出了有关许多数据差距的问题。