sisignaling g is very important fofor fetal d development and for r childhood dedevelopme, as wellll as sexual maturation. therefore, comompounds that interfere wiwith these processes could have very profounund effects. >> many of these and other chemicals appppear to be associated with lower i.q.s, and/or behavioral problems in children. >> if you look at what these chemicals can do to the brain, we know now these chemicals are alalso interfering with how we process information. >> they affect t our genetic outcome. they increase the possibility ththat we lose a bababy. they change the activy ofof our horormones, our sex hormones, in a variety y of different way. >> wewe're seseeing children starting g puberty at y younger ages. so there are many little girls that have, for example, breast buds by the age of 7 in the african american community anand 8 in the white community. thihis is toooo young for our children. >> 980 endocrine disrupting chemicals have now been identified. among the most ubiquitous are a class of compounds called phthalates, bisphenol a, and flame retardants, including pbdes, chemic