We still hear it, again and again: endocrine disruptors supposedly have no real impact on human health, especially at the low doses we are exposed to daily. That claim is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
A 2024 study published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research offers compelling evidence. Researchers investigated the effects of avobenzone — a UV filter widely used in everyday products — on several plant species, including the onion (Allium cepa), a well-established biological model for detecting cellular toxicity.
The findings are clear: even at extremely low concentrations, comparable to those found in the environment, this substance significantly reduces root growth, disrupts cell division, alters chromosomes, and triggers intense oxidative stress. In other words, it directly interferes with the fundamental mechanisms of life.
Why does this matter for human health? Because these mechanisms — DNA damage, cell cycle disruption, oxidative stress — are universal. They are the same biological processes involved in many human diseases.
The onion, in this case, is not anecdotal. It is a validated scientific model, used for decades to assess the toxicity of environmental contaminants. When such a model reveals strong effects at realistic exposure levels, it cannot be dismissed as irrelevant.
Continuing to claim that these substances are harmless is no longer a scientific position — it is a refusal to acknowledge the evidence. Living systems respond, and they respond strongly, even at very low doses.
The real question is no longer whether endocrine disruptors have an effect. It is why, despite mounting evidence, we continue to downplay it.
Reference :
Prospecting toxicity of the avobenzone sunscreen in plants – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38951395/