239
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. S. H. Akash et al. (eds.), Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-induced
Metabolic Disorders and Treatment Strategies, Emerging Contaminants
and Associated Treatment Technologies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45923-9_15
Chapter 15
Role of Phthalates as EDCs in Metabolic
Disorders
Tahir Farooq, Arruje Hameed, and Ali Raza
Abstract Phthalates are water-insoluble organic plasticizers which provide flexibility to PVC-plastics and make them useable in pharmaceutical industry, medical
devices, clothing, and food packings. These plasticizers leach out from such articles
as they are not chemically bound to polymeric materials and act as toxicants. These
contaminants are found everywhere in the environment. Humans are always exposed
to different kinds of phthalates through food, inhalation, personal care products,
clothing, medication, nutritional supplements, etc. The hand to mouth behavior of
infants increases the risk of phthalates exposure at the crucial phase of their growth
and development. The phthalates or their metabolites act as agonist or antagonist
ligands and disrupt the chemical signaling of the endocrine hormones thus are
regarded as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). So the disrupted messaging by
the hormones implicate a number of abnormalities, behavioral issues, and diseases
like impaired neurodevelopment, decreased IQ and attention deficit, early puberty
and fertility issues, sex anomalies, altered reproductive development, etc. The
impaired endocrinal signaling cause perturbation of lipid and glucose homeostasis
and result in obesity, overweight and insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
Keywords Phthalates · Toxicants · EDCs · Plasticizers · Hormone-signaling
T. Farooq · A. Raza
Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
A. Hameed (*)
Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. S. H. Akash et al. (eds.), Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-induced
Metabolic Disorders and Treatment Strategies, Emerging Contaminants
and Associated Treatment Technologies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45923-9_15
Chapter 15
Role of Phthalates as EDCs in Metabolic
Disorders
Tahir Farooq, Arruje Hameed, and Ali Raza
Abstract Phthalates are water-insoluble organic plasticizers which provide flexibility to PVC-plastics and make them useable in pharmaceutical industry, medical
devices, clothing, and food packings. These plasticizers leach out from such articles
as they are not chemically bound to polymeric materials and act as toxicants. These
contaminants are found everywhere in the environment. Humans are always exposed
to different kinds of phthalates through food, inhalation, personal care products,
clothing, medication, nutritional supplements, etc. The hand to mouth behavior of
infants increases the risk of phthalates exposure at the crucial phase of their growth
and development. The phthalates or their metabolites act as agonist or antagonist
ligands and disrupt the chemical signaling of the endocrine hormones thus are
regarded as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). So the disrupted messaging by
the hormones implicate a number of abnormalities, behavioral issues, and diseases
like impaired neurodevelopment, decreased IQ and attention deficit, early puberty
and fertility issues, sex anomalies, altered reproductive development, etc. The
impaired endocrinal signaling cause perturbation of lipid and glucose homeostasis
and result in obesity, overweight and insulin resistance and type II diabetes.
Keywords Phthalates · Toxicants · EDCs · Plasticizers · Hormone-signaling
T. Farooq · A. Raza
Department of Applied Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
A. Hameed (*)
Department of Biochemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan