You’ve reached the Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds (EDC) Footprint Calculator. This tool is similar to existing water and carbon footprint calculators; you, the user, insert the amount of household products you own into the calculator, which is able to estimate your personal EDC footprint.

Continue reading below for more information about EDCs and their impact on the environment, or use the calculator now.

What are Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds (EDCs)?

Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds (EDCs) are chemicals that can be found in products we use every day. Sources include a wide range of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, including household cleaners, laundry supplies, and health and beauty products.

EDCs are types of emerging contaminants, meaning we do not yet understand the risks they pose in the environment. They do not currently have surface, drinking water, or wastewater standards. These compounds are synthetic, and mimic naturally-produced hormones in various organisms, interfering with organisms’ endocrine systems.

Why are EDCs harmful?

EDCs can be harmful to aquatic organisms at trace concentrations (the ng-μg/L level). A recent study conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) found a link between the presence of EDCs and the decrease in smallmouth bass populations in the Susquehanna River (Shull and Pulket, 2015). These chemicals can also lead to intersex charactersitics in aquatic organisms.

Our wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove these chemicals, so these products and their metabolites remain in what we put back into our water systems. Because we don’t yet understand their environmental fate, transport, or impacts well enough to determine water quality standards, EDCs go unregulated. Since there are no regulations, one of the most effective ways to reduce their presence is by reducing personal use of products containing EDCs.

What is an EDC calculator?

The EDC Footprint Calculator is similar to a carbon footprint calculator. You, the user, insert the amount of household products you own. Using sources like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s Household Product Database, the calculator estimates your personal EDC footprint for fifty-five different EDCs.

The EDCs calculated fall into ten different categories: UV filters (sunscreens), cyclosiloxanse (used in personal care products as a lubricant), glycol ethers (solvents), fragrances, alkylphenols (common in detergents), ethanolamines (surfactants), antimicrobials (cleaning products and soaps), bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates (plasticizers), and parabens (artificial preservatives in health and beauty products).

What now?

Knowledge is power! Once you understand your personal footprint, you can learn about easy swaps you can make to reduce your EDC footprint. We’ll help you understand ingredients to look out for so that the next time you go shopping, you are making an informed, environmentally-friendly choice.

Are you ready to get started?