Final answer:
Synthetic chemicals present risks at the cellular level by disrupting metabolism, damaging DNA, and altering gene expression. Persistent organic pollutants and endocrine disruptors can have lifelong impacts on health and environmental function. Traditional toxicology approaches are being rethought due to the subtle but serious effects of low-dose exposures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The introduction of over 80,000 new synthetic chemicals since the Industrial Revolution presents significant risks at the cellular level. These substances, which include toxic heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and various persistent organic pollutants, have no evolutionary precedence, therefore organisms have not developed protective mechanisms against their potential harm.
At the cellular level, accumulation of waste products and free radicals can interfere with cellular metabolism and DNA, leading to diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, chemicals capable of disrupting hormone action can induce adverse changes across the body by altering gene expression. Exposure to such agents during critical periods of development may have lifelong consequences, impacting fertility, immune system function, neurological competency, and behavior.
Synthetic chemicals can disrupt cellular function through skin or eye contact, or when ingested or inhaled they biomagnify within the food chain. Subtle effects from exposure may not be evident until much later, with potential for significant damage to health and ecological function. Decades of research now reveal that even low doses of these compounds can disrupt endocrine functions, compelling a reevaluation of traditional toxicological assessments.