I recently discovered an extremely troubling documentary on the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals, notably phtalates, Bisphenol A and brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) which are widely found in plastics, on the male population. These chemicals are said to affect males more directly than females because they cause an hormonal imbalance in the mother's womb at the time when male reproductive organs are being formed.
One sad example is the Aamjiwnaang First Nation community near Sarnia, Ontario, Canada where the proportion of male live births has been declining continuously since the early 1990s from an apparently stable sex ratio of 50%. In the past five years the proportion of males has gone down to only about 35%. Many are pointing the finger at a number of environmental and occupational chemical exposures on the population of this poor community located within the Great Lakes St. Clair River Area. The community is surrounded by large petrochemical, polymer, and chemical industrial plants (see photo -- view from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation).
The documentary is free to watch online, just follow this link. It is produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and lasts about 45 minutes.
http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/disappearingmale/
- chantal
