Acids May Disrupt Normal Development of Girls

Although scientists have speculated over the
negative effects of environmental toxins for
years, new data suggest that certain acidic
environmental toxins may disrupt the normal
growth and hormonal development of girls. Some
of these acidic toxins, such as the acid
mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA) produced
by the Fusarium fungus species, can be found
naturally in the environment, have properties
similar to the female reproductive hormone estrogen,
and are also structurally similar to anabolic growth
agents used in animal breeding.

A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal
of Pediatrics suggests that certain acidic mycoestrogens
from fungi may be directly linked to the early onset of
sexual development in young girls.

Dr. Francesco Massart and colleagues from the
University of Pisa in Italy studied a group of girls
affected by the early onset of puberty, or central
precocious puberty (CPP), from the North-West region
of Tuscany. They undertook the study to explain why
this area has a much higher than average incidence
of CPP. The authors tested the girls for acidic
mycoestrogens to see if environmental toxins were
a factor in the girls’ premature sexual development.

Six of the 17 girls with CPP were found to have
elevated levels of ZEA. According to Dr. Massart,
“Although this finding might be incidental, ZEA may
be related to CPP occurrence in girls exposed to
the acidic mycoestrogens. However, the presence of
ZEA pollution could not explain the epidemic of CPP
in the region, suggesting that other environmental
factors such as herbicides and pesticides may be
involved.”

The authors also noted that because of its chemical
resemblance to some anabolic growth agents used in
animal breeding, ZEA may promote accelerated growth
in exposed children. Though the researchers were
unable to identify a definitive cause of the high
rates of CPP in this region of Tuscany, the study
identifies the need for more research into the
possible negative effects of acidic environmental
pollutants on children.