Low-Dose Exposures

Because the body’s own hormones convey messages throughout the body in tiny amounts, extremely low levels of toxic chemicals, including many of those used in personal care products, may have serious effects on metabolism, reproductive development, and risks for later life disease.

In fact, scientists are now finding that the timing of exposure to harmful chemicals may be as important as the dose. They are describing “windows of susceptibility” during development when the body is especially sensitive to exposures.

Some of these key windows of susceptibility occur during prenatal development, childhood, puberty and pregnancy, when the body’s cells are dividing rapidly and when complex organs and functions such as brains, breasts and metabolism develop.

Learn more about how low doses of toxic chemicals during key life stages of development can negatively impact health and human development.