Exposure To Daily Chemicals, Male Rats Develop Female Characteristics

Ilustrasi tikus. (Pexels/Monique Laats)

JAKARTA - The sexual development of mice changes when they are exposed to chemicals that surround humans in their daily lives, during an experiment run by an international research group at the Danish University of Technology, which has investigated the effects of endocrine disruptors.

During the experiment, pregnant mice were exposed to a mixture of thirteen common chemicals, including bisphenol (BPA) and phthalates found in plastic products. BPA is a xenoestrogen, exhibiting hormone-like properties that mimic estrogen. Meanwhile, Phthalates are sometimes called plasticizers and are used to help dissolve other materials. They are included in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, lubricating oils, and personal care products (such as soaps, shampoos, and hair sprays).

"When we gave one substance at a time, we didn't see any particular effect. But when we combined several substances, we saw serious hormonal disturbances in the young mice", Danish University of Technology researcher Sofie Christiansen told Swedish national broadcaster SVT. November 2nd.

Ultimately, male mice develop female characteristics, somewhat blurring the gender line.

"In experiments, you can clearly see nipples that are usually only owned by women," explains Sofie Christiansen.

In addition to the nipples, the distance between the anus and the genitals, which is considered a sexual characteristic not only for mice but also for other creatures, is reduced. Typically, this distance is greater in male mice than in females, individuals exposed to the chemical become more similar to females.

Additionally, the Danish research focused solely on how rats could be affected by the everyday chemicals included in plastics. Currently, there is a lack of sufficient research to be able to draw definitive conclusions about whether and how people are affected by endocrine disruptors, SVT underlined.