What do people know about endocrine disrupting chemicals?

New study maps misconceptions about harmful everyday chemicals, offering a guide for improving public health messaging.

A new study by Silent Spring Institute pinpoints key gaps in public knowledge about harmful chemicals that limit people’s ability to reduce their exposures and advocate for safer products. The findings provide a roadmap for shaping clearer, more effective public health messaging to combat misinformation and help people make informed decisions to protect their health.

Reporting in the journal BMC Public Health, research scientist Katie Boronow and senior scientist Dr. Julia Brody examined what U.S. adults know about common endocrine disrupting chemicals—like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS—that are widely used in consumer products. Scientists are concerned about chronic exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, because they interfere with the body’s hormones, leading to health problems including cancers, infertility, metabolic disorders, and neurodevelopmental problems.

“Major medical and scientific groups recommend that people avoid EDCs in their daily lives, but we know that many people don't,” says Boronow. “By studying how people think about EDCs and health, we can find the best ways to talk about these issues to help people make better decisions.”

For the first part of the study, the research team aimed to establish expert consensus on what the public should know about EDCs. They conducted focus groups with 38 environmental health researchers and community partners. Using a mental models approach, the team mapped out how EDCs affect health, how exposures occur, and how policies, manufacturing practices, and personal behaviors influence risk.

The team then surveyed 504 U.S. adults to measure how closely people’s knowledge aligns with the mental model. While most respondents were generally aware of some of the health risks, the survey revealed widespread misconceptions.

Among the common misconceptions:

• 82% incorrectly believed that chemicals in consumer products must undergo safety testing.
• 73% believed manufacturers are required to disclose all product ingredients.
• Two thirds mistakenly thought a person’s risk of developing cancer is largely due to inherited genes.

“If people think cancer is all in their genes and that chemicals in products have already been safety-tested, they don’t realize how much more we could be doing to protect people,” says Brody. “Researchers and doctors need to be much more straightforward in explaining the links between everyday chemicals and impacts on health.”

What should people know instead? 

Based on the findings, the researchers recommend the following communication tips:

• “Your genes probably aren’t your biggest cancer risk.” Emphasize that cancer is not pre-determined. Genetics plays a relatively small role.
• “Laws are the best way to protect everyone from harmful chemicals, but current laws are too weak.” Address misconceptions about how chemicals are regulated in the U.S.
• “Taking small steps to reduce your exposures can help.” Highlight evidence that lowering EDC exposure can reduce health risks.

Learn more about Silent Spring’s research on Environmental Health Literacy.

For tips on reducing exposures to EDCs and other harmful chemicals, download Silent Spring’s Detox Me mobile app.