Endocrine disruptor to have committed scientific misconduct. Found in many household and industrial products, endocrine disruptors are substances that "interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for development, behavior, fertility, and maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell metabolism)." They are sometimes also referred to as hormonally active agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals, or endocrine disrupting compounds. The variety of terms used to describe these substances reflects not only a range of meanings but a range of connotations, with "endocrine disruptor" emphasizing harmful effects, while "hormonally active agent" or "xenohormone" are more neutral,
Endocrine disruptor and toddlers ingest more contaminated house dust than the adults they live with, and therefore have much higher levels of pollutants in their systems. Consumer goods are another potential source of exposure to endocrine disruptors. An analysis of the composition of 42 household cleaning and personal care products versus 43 "chemical free" products has been performed. The products contained 55 different chemical compounds: 50 were found in the 42 conventional samples representing 170 product types, while 41 were detected in 43 "chemical free" samples representing 39 product types. Parabens, a class of chemicals that has been associated with reproductive-tract issues,