Yes, this is turning into a mutant species horror movie. We, the people, are being biologically changed, by chemicals that disrupt our endocrine and neural development.

For decades many scientists have believed that "the dose makes the poison" -- a chemical may be harmless in small amounts but devastating in higher amounts. But this latest research demonstrates that endocrine-disrupting chemicals act differently than other substances.

f you're like me, you're already failing at most of your New Year's resolutions (I'm still not making my bed every day, and I haven't been to a yoga class yet in January). One goal that I am tackling in earnest? Banishing phthalates from my home once and for all.

For many years it was thought that our genes were the whole game -- the stuff that determined our appearance, our aptitudes, and even our susceptibility to disease. But we now know it's more complicated than that. It turns out that not all of our genes are active. Some are turned "on" and others are turned "off."

No science based agency in the US, Europe or elsewhere has found direct links between phthalates and human health. But this doesn't stop some groups from plying on consumer fears.

I've heard a lot of talk about BPA, almost none of it good. It's used in all kinds of things: electronics, DVDs, car dashboards, eyeglass lenses and polycarbonate plastics, from microwavable containers to infant sippy cups.