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Tunde-Sanya 1 Olumide Tunde-Sanya 2/25/13 Pd. 5 Don’t Sit on That Couch, You Could get Exposed! The endocrine system is a system of glands located throughout the body that produces hormones that regulate body functions. This complex system controls one’s growth, metabolism, and sexual development. The thyroid gland, a part of the endocrine system, is located in the lower part of the neck. This gland produces hormones that coordinate the rate at which several of the body’s vital organs work, and helps the body to use energy, stay warm, and keeps the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working normally. Thyroid nodules are lumps in the thyroid that can be an indication of thyroid disease. Fifty percent of the population will at some point in their lives get a thyroid nodule, and of this large percent, nodules are only detected in about 6.4% of women and 1.5% of men (“Thyroid Nodule”1). Fortunately, most of these nodules are benign, but about five to ten percent of the time, they can be cancerous. Although there are several types of thyroid disease, most fall into two main categories, which are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Endocrine disruptors are the chemicals found in the environment that interfere with the functions of the endocrine system. Their effect on the thyroid is the main subject of this paper. Since the thyroid is not a very commonly known gland, and due to a lack of awareness of the dangers the environment poses to the thyroid, there has been an increase in the incidence of thyroid diseases. There are several types of thyroid disease. The most worrisome is thyroid cancer, which is a common cancer, especially in women, who get it “four times more often than Tunde-Sanya 2 men” (Gross). Symptoms of this cancer could be nodules, hoarseness, or discomfort in the neck. However, the cancer is often asymptomatic, and can go undetected for several years. As with all forms of cancer, if the cancer goes untreated, it could spread to other parts of the body and cause further complications, including death. Since thyroid cancer can go unnoticed for so many years, the risk of these life-threatening complications only increases. In recent studies, it has also become apparent that thyroid cancer is becoming more aggressive (Roman), as more deaths have been caused by thyroid cancer in recent years. The lack of awareness of the thyroid is one of the factors of why there is a rising incidence of thyroid disease, especially thyroid cancer incidence, which is increasing more than any other cancer in the United States. The incidence of this cancer has nearly doubled since the 1970s. Even though the cancer is more common in women, the mortality rate of thyroid cancer in men has increased by 2.4%- the highest growth of any cancer (Sayre 2). The causes of this can also be attributed to other factors. Thyroid disease can also be caused by radiation exposure. The highest numbers of cancer incidences are in areas with the highest number of nuclear power reactors or radiation. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York have the highest amount of nuclear reactors in the United States, and also the highest rates of thyroid disease incidence, specifically in areas within a 90-mile radius of these reactors (Mangano 1). Others areas in the world have shown increased thyroid cancer incidence in areas with excess radiation. The nuclear reactor damage from the tsunami in Japan and the radiation accident in Chernobyl, Russia are prime examples (“Clinical Thyroidology for Patients” 2). Another factor is the growing issue of iodine deficiency in the United States and several other Tunde-Sanya 3 parts of the world (Chandra 213). Iodine, which is typically found in salt, is the chemical the thyroid needs to function, and a lack of it can also cause thyroid problems. In fact, according to the American Thyroid Association, a recent study has proven that taking iodine after being exposed to radiation significantly reduces one’s risk of developing thyroid cancer. Besides cancer, two other common thyroid diseases are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. People with a thyroid disease will most likely have hypothyroidism. It is usually the result of Hashimotos thyroiditis (Naglieri), which is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system cells attack the thyroid. The result (hypothyroidism) causes the thyroid to produce less thyroid hormone, which slows the body’s functions down (Marieb and Hoehn 620). People with an abnormal amount of thyroid antibodies are usually at risk of developing thyroid disease. For example, people with coeliac disease, which is caused by hypothyroidism, have been shown to have an abnormal amount of thyroid antibodies (Taha and Rudell 844). Hypothyroidism can result in patients suffering from fatigue, depression, hair loss, feeling cold, etc. Hyperthyroidism does the opposite, causing the thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone, therefore speeding up the body’s function to dangerous levels. This can cause fatigue, weight loss, muscle weakness, heart failure, and several other problems. These diseases can be very dangerous if left untreated and can even lead to other diseases. Developing a thyroid disease can be due to genetic inheritance, but one can also develop a thyroid disease through exposure to endocrine disruptors. If one is already genetically predisposed to getting a thyroid disease, endocrine disruptors can act as a Tunde-Sanya 4 trigger to express these diseases (Prummel, Strieder, and Weisinger 605). These chemicals are dangerous to the thyroid and are easy to come across. They can be found in man-made items such as pesticides and plasticizers, or can be natural chemicals found in the environment (Schmutzler, Hofmann, and Kovacs 77). The most common endocrine disruptors are Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are industrial chemicals that can be found in coolants, lubricants, tapes, plastics, etc. In addition to causing a thyroid disease, they can cause A.D.D, memory issues, and motor deficits (Brent 755). PCBs are agonists, meaning that they “mimic thyroid hormone action” (Langer 403), and the body cannot distinguish between this chemical and it’s own thyroid hormone. Another common endocrine disruptor is Bisphenol A (BPA), which is found in nearly all plastic items, which people are exposed to regularly. BPA can be found in shampoo bottles, plastic containers, and various other items people use daily. The chemical can seep into and contaminate the shampoo or the food in plastic containers, therefore entering the body. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are found in a wide variety of consumer products that are freely released into home and work environments. PBDE’s are chemicals that are usually ingested from contaminated house dust, which can be found in furniture, specifically couches and carpet ("Studies Reveal Dangerous Levels of Flame Retardants in Furniture"). PBDE’s account for as much as 80-93% of daily exposure in toddlers (Ernest 496). Other less common but potentially dangerous endocrine disruptors are organochlorine pesticides, Triclosan, and Isoflavones. These chemicals can be found in items like flame-retardants, rocket fuel, fertilizer, soaps, and soy products. Some foods also naturally contain chemicals that can cause goiters (enlarged thyroid) or Tunde-Sanya 5 hypothyroidism in some people. These chemicals are known as goitrogens. Some foods that have high amounts of goitrogens are cabbages, brussel sprouts, broccoli, turnips, rutabagas, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, and kale. Cigarettes have also been found to have chemicals that increase the risk of certain thyroid disorders (Brent 756). Smoking influences metabolic status and thyroid function, and studies have shown that just an hour of second-hand smoking causes an abnormal spike in thyroid hormone levels (GS 208). All these chemicals mentioned have been linked to thyroid diseases, specifically hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and have been proven to cause significant hormonal changes, especially in pregnant women (“BPA Shown to Disrupt Thyroid Function” 1). These chemicals not only affect the thyroid, but other parts of the body as well. They can have negative neurological and reproductive effects. They have been shown to impair the brain function of children if their mother was exposed to endocrine disruptor's during pregnancy. Therefore, these children could have poorer performance in school and lower IQs (“Thyroid Hormone and Brain Development” 1003). There are also several reproductive effects, such as infertility, miscarriage, and fetal underdevelopment, which have been linked to endocrine disruptor's. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism have also both been associated with fetal loss, and studies have shown that women with a thyroid autoimmune disorder such as Hashimoto’s are twice as likely to have a miscarriage (Poppe and Glinoer 152). There is a lack of basic knowledge of the thyroid in most people today, and little is still known about the causal relationship of thyroid diseases and the previously mentioned hazardous chemicals. In a recent study involving 50 high school students who were questioned about their knowledge of the thyroid, only 17% knew the thyroid’s main Tunde-Sanya 6 function, and 4% of those were aware of thyroid disease symptoms. But the majority (95%) has been unknowingly exposed to dangerous chemicals that could harm their thyroid. This data is not representative of the entire population, but is a somewhat valid estimate of what adolescents know about the thyroid, which clearly is not much. So little is known, in fact, that most thyroid diseases are usually “diagnosed by accident, or incidentally” (Gross). This is causing thyroid disease incidence to become a major public health issue. The issue has become so critical that the government has had to respond with new regulations to increase awareness and prevention (Endocrine Primer). The endocrine system, specifically the thyroid, although very important, is still a generally unknown part of the body. This lack of awareness of the thyroid and the chemicals that can potentially harm the thyroid has been slowly but surely causing an increase in the incidence of thyroid disease for decades. Thyroid disease is often treatable, however, if it goes unattended, it can cause life-threatening complications. Improvements in treatment have raised survival rates, but there are still too many cases where a thyroid disease has been left untreated for too long. To remedy this issue, we must increase out understanding of the thyroid and the dangers present to it, and be aware of and take better care of the environment that surrounds us. To do this, we must start by doing little things like washing our fruits and vegetables, filtering our water, trying not to eat too much processed food, and avoiding BPA products as much as possible (Naglieri). Also, people who smoke should try to quit, and we should all be wary of the amount of radiation we are exposed to, which is a lot more than people think. Lastly, and most importantly, visit the doctor regularly and check your neck. Tunde-Sanya 7 Works Cited Boas, Malene, Ulla Feldt-Rasmussen, and Niels E. Skakkebeak. "Environmental Chemicals and Thyroid Function." European Journal of Endocrinology 154 (2006): 600-05. Eje-Online. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. Brent, Gregory. "Environmental Exposures and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease." Thyroid 20.7 (2010): 755-59. Rpt. in Thyroid. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Chandra, Amar K. "Environment and Thyroid." US National Library of Medicine Enlisted Journal 4.3 (2011): 213-14. Print. Clinical Thyroidology for Patients." American Thyroid Association. Ed. Alan P. Farwell. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. "Endocrine Primer." Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. Environmental Protection agency, 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov>. “Endocrine Society Unveils First-Ever Scientific Statement.” The Endocrine Society. Ed. Arlyn G. Riskind and Aaron Lohr. Endocrine Society, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. Ernest, Sheila R., et al. "Effects of Chronic Exposure to an Environmentally Relevant Mixture of Brominated Flame Retardants on the Reproductive and Thyroid System." Toxicological Sciences (2011): 496-505. Print. Gross, Neil D. Interview by Matt McMillen. N.d. GS, Metsios, and Flouris AD. "A Brief Exposure to Moderate Passive Smoke Increases Metabolism and Thyroid Hormone Secretion." J Clinic Endocrinology Metabolism (2007): 208-11. PubMed. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. Tunde-Sanya 8 Itterman, and Thamm. "Relationship of Smoking... between Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and Body Mass Index in Large Groups of Adolescents." PubMed. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. Langer. "The Impacts of Organochlorines and Other Persistent Pollutants on Thyroid and Metabolic Health." Neuroendocrinilogy (2010): 497-518. PubMed. Web. 7 Nov. 2012. Mangano, Joseph J. "Geographic Variation in U.S. Thyroid Cancer Incidence." United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Marieb, Elaine N., and Katja Hoehn. "The Endocrine System." Human Anatomy& Phsyiology. 7th ed. San Francisco: Pearson- Benjamin Cummings, 2007. 604-45. Print. Naglieri, Rosalie, Dr. Personal interview. 30 Nov. 2012. Poppe, Kris, and Daniel Glinoer. "Thyroid Autoimmunity and Hypothyroidism before and during Pregnancy." Human Reproduction Update 9.2 (2003): 149-61. European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Prummel, Mark F., Thea Strieder, and Wilmar Wiersinga. "The Environment and Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases." European Journal of Endocrinology 150 (2004): 605-18. European Journal of Endocrinology. Web. 12 Dec. 2012 S., Roman. "Aggressive Variants of Papillary Thyroid Cancer." PubMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. Sayre, Carolyn. "The Rising Incidence of Thyroid Cancer." New York Times 13 Oct. 2010: 1-3. Print. Tunde-Sanya 9 Schmutzler, Cornelia, Peter J. Hofmann, and Gabor Kovacs. "Endocrine Disruptors and the Thyroid Gland." 2007. Environmental Health Perspective. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 77-83. PMC. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. "Studies Reveal Dangerous Levels of Flame Retardants in Furniture." The Endocrine Society. BulletinHealthCare, 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. Taha, A., and W S Rudell. "Coeliac Disease and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease." GUT 35.6 (1994): 844-46. GUT. Web. 20 Dec. 2012. "Thyroid Hormone and Brain Development." Thyroid 13.11 (2003): 1001-03. "Thyroid Nodule." American Thyroid Association. N.p., 4 June 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.