Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are all around us — in everyday products, food packaging, and even the environment — yet their effects on our hormonal systems and overall health are often overlooked. In this Goalchella episode, we sit down with Dr. Emily to explore what EDCs are, how they interfere with hormonal communication, and the systems in our bodies they impact — from the gonads and thyroid to bone, fat, and the brain.

Dr. Emily dives into her research on how early-life exposure to EDCs can alter brain development, affecting reward systems, hormone cycles, eating behavior, and cognition — and how these effects can persist across generations. We also discuss practical strategies to reduce exposure in everyday life, and why age and sex play a critical role in vulnerability.

We wrap with a discussion of EndoScreen.org, a resource Dr. Emily created to translate her research into actionable steps for women and families. If you’re interested in protecting your health, supporting the next generation, and understanding how environmental toxins impact your brain and body, this episode is a must-listen.

Links/Research Articles:

endoscreen.org

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091302222000668?via%3Dihub

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2021-67755-001

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-66870-001

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11698485/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10372431/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11908942/

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You guys are gonna love today's guest because she's one of the leading

2

voices helping us understand how the

products we use every single day can

3

quietly influence our hormones and health.

4

She earned her PhD in behavioral

Neuroscience from the University

5

of Texas at Austin and is currently

a postdoc researcher in Dr.

6

Andrea Gore's lab at UT Austin.

7

One of the most well-known research labs.

8

Studying endocrine disruption

in hormone signaling.

9

Her research focuses on how synthetic

compounds, whether from our environment

10

or hormonal contraceptives, can

mimic our natural hormones, affecting

11

systems tied to mood, attention

learning, and overall health.

12

She's also the founder of endo screen.org,

13

an incredible educational platform that

helps us identify endocrine disrupting

14

chemicals in our own products and

understand how these chemicals interact

15

with multiple systems in the body.

16

In today's episode, we're

breaking down what EDCs are.

17

Where they're hiding and why they

matter without fear mongering and with

18

a whole lot of science back clarity.

19

Dr.

20

Emily Hills, welcome to

Wellness Exists the pod.

21

Kelsy: Can you explain what are

endocrine disrupting chemicals?

22

Where can we find them in our everyday

environment and everyday products?

23

Emily Hilz: Absolutely.

24

This is definitely where my expertise

has developed in its fullest.

25

And that would be endocrine disrupting

chemicals or EDCs, which are defined as

26

any exogenous, which means coming from

outside the body, chemical that interferes

27

with any aspect of hormone action.

28

And then an important part of that is,

and results in an adverse health outcome.

29

So two main components there is it's.

30

Structurally similar to the body's

endogenous hormones, but it's

31

coming from outside of the body.

32

And then it is having an unintentional

impact on health in a negative way,

33

which is why they're different from

something like hormonal birth control,

34

which is yes, exogenous, but it's

designed to impact the endocrine system

35

purposely, and it doesn't, cancer.

36

Kelsy: So what are some of the

systems in our body that EDCs affect?

37

And I know there's probably a multitude,

but what are all of those systems?

38

And then also zoom in specifically on

the brain, because I feel like that's

39

probably where a lot of your research is,

is how do EDCs affect our body as a whole?

40

But then more specifically,

how does it affect our brains?

41

Emily Hilz: I think you also

asked where do they come from?

42

Kelsy: Oh, yes.

43

Emily Hilz: There are several main

classes of There's the bisphenols,

44

the phthalates, perfluorinated

chemicals or PFAS, which have been

45

popularized as quote unquote forever.

46

Chemicals parabens and flame retardants

are five major classes of EDCs.

47

And then chemicals are all either

estrogenic or anti androgenic active.

48

They could be anti-estrogen or like

not pro estrogen isn't really a word.

49

So they are either anti estrogenic

or androgenic or anti androgenic,

50

or a combination of the two.

51

The reason that they are this way is

because they're structurally similar

52

to our body's endogenous hormones.

53

they can be found in plastics.

54

Personal care products phthalates are

used as emulsifiers and fragrance.

55

Parabens are used in products to increase

shelf life, and as antimicrobials,

56

bisphenols are used in a lot of food

packaging, they're also found in plastics.

57

Perfluorinated chemicals or PFAS

are non-stick chemicals, which

58

they could be found in non-stick

cookware, but they can also be found

59

in clothing and fast food wrappers.

60

anything that's designed to be oil

slick, non-stick tends to have it.

61

flame retardants are found in a lot of

furniture synthetic fibers and stuff.

62

To give that little overview real

quick because I think it's important,

63

Kelsy: It's helpful for me as someone

who just has no expertise on this subject

64

at all, but who heard of things like

Forever Chemicals and is constantly

65

targeted with these ads for cookware that

is, you know no PFAS in it or whatever.

66

I had never heard of this, diagram in the

way that you explained it of like, okay,

67

these are the ones that you need to watch

out for and where they might be found.

68

So no, very, very helpful.

69

Emily Hilz: It's interesting because I do

think just in the, relatively short amount

70

of time that I've been studying endocrine

disruptors, I feel like they have

71

blown up, when I started studying them.

72

I didn't even originally

know what they were.

73

Like.

74

I went into the lab and I was like,

yeah, sure, okay, endocrine disruptors.

75

And then I was like, wow,

these are in everything.

76

I didn't know this.

77

People don't know this, do they?

78

And then four years later,

five years later, here we are.

79

And I feel like it's everywhere.

80

So that's actually very cool to me as

a scientist and somebody who is at the

81

intersection of science and policy to

see in real time something that has been

82

being studied for 40 or 50 years now.

83

The first popularization of the idea

of endocrine disruptors is actually the

84

book Silent Spring, if you're familiar.

85

Pesticides are the other huge

category of endocrine disruptors.

86

Sorry, forgot to mention that one.

87

Agricultural products.

88

Um.

89

Was silent Spring back in the 1970s,

and so we've known about them for a

90

long time, but the fact that they're

in so much of our daily use products is

91

new and only really starting to enter

the cultural consciousness, I think.

92

Kelsy: And speaking of their effects

on our bodies and on our brains.

93

Do they, mimic some of the receptors that

estrogen might have or dopamine or, or any

94

sort of neuromodulator or chemical within

our brain that is supposed to be there

95

and normal and has that positive outcome.

96

How do they actually change our brains

and our bodies and different systems

97

within our bodies from like A very

basic physiological level, I guess,

98

but then also just a general, like what

might people also notice within their

99

bodies from more of a basic level.

100

Emily Hilz: I think how I'm

gonna answer this is not

101

necessarily what people want to

102

Kelsy: Okay.

103

Emily Hilz: I'm gonna.

104

Kelsy: I.

105

Emily Hilz: about it anyways.

106

So we have to keep in mind that our

exposures, they're happening now, but

107

they've been happening for 70 years.

108

So like your grandma at one point

had your mother inside her, and

109

you were inside your mother.

110

And so we have all of this

generational exposure that

111

rewrites our DNA, essentially, and

the way that we are developing.

112

So I feel like in some ways people

ask me like, what would you notice?

113

And I'm like, I don't know if

you would notice, because I

114

feel like it's just who you are.

115

Like, did you feel like maybe you struggle

to be as motivated as your parents?

116

Or like struggle with

attention or things like that.

117

It might not be like a before and

after as opposed to just, this is

118

what it's like now, if that makes

119

Kelsy: Yeah, no.

120

Emily Hilz: Changed the way

we're developing as people

121

Kelsy: It's the state.

122

The state that we find ourselves in

again too, like you said earlier, is

123

like that's, I also love that y'all

do study this generational impact.

124

'cause I didn't really even think

about it until I was actually reading

125

some of y'all's research and learning

about what y'all are researching.

126

I was like, oh my gosh, this is kind

of crazy that you know these, like

127

they call 'em forever chemicals.

128

It's not just me that they're

affecting, but they're affecting

129

the generations after me.

130

And it's not just me and what I'm

exposed to now, but what the generations

131

before me were also exposed to.

132

Emily Hilz: Yeah.

133

One of the reasons they're called

forever chemicals is not just because

134

they stay in the environment forever,

but also because they stay in our

135

bodies too this is a problem I feel

like with EDC awareness that I run into

136

a lot is people get a little defeated

feeling 'cause it's overwhelming.

137

Okay, what doesn't have some

kind of harmful chemical in it?

138

And the answer to that

is plenty of things.

139

And certainly we're also,

working towards improvement.

140

Is always a positive thing.

141

We might not be able to rewrite history,

but we can try to affect the future.

142

So even if it stops with me or

something, we could definitely

143

improve outcomes in that way.

144

Our ancestral exposures are

something to think about for sure.

145

And that is where a lot of my research is.

146

Like I do study direct exposures and

intergenerational, we'll rewind a little

147

bit and get back to your question on

the biochemical processes of how these

148

chemicals are endocrinological active.

149

And you hit the nail on the

head when you were mentioning

150

their binding two receptors.

151

Essentially we have estrogen and

androgen receptors and many of our

152

different tissues, and they work

in different ways in the brain.

153

the point being is

154

an EDC would have a binding affinity,

which is the ability to bind a receptor

155

competitively with our own hormone levels.

156

And some chemicals have higher

binding, affinity than our normal

157

or our endogenous hormones.

158

And then others have

lower binding affinity.

159

what that basically means is can the

chemical that you're being exposed

160

to essentially beat the estrogen and

take over your receptor to affect it?

161

A lot of them can't.

162

this is a misguided notion in

toxicology, thinking that if a

163

chemical cannot competitively bind

the receptor then we don't have any

164

reason to be concerned about it.

165

But what that fails to account for

is the idea of developmental periods.

166

So I have a lot more estrogen

than a baby does or a fetus.

167

And so something that might not

competitively bind in me, can definitely

168

competitively bind in a developing

fetus or in a child, or in a woman

169

who's going through perimenopause

We're talking about women right

170

now, but to be totally transparent,

this is extremely relevant for men.

171

Actually.

172

I see a lot more adverse effects in

my male rats than I do in my females.

173

They seem to be like a lot more

physiologically sensitive to EDCs, it's

174

specifically when they're exposed in utero

or we do what's called perinatal exposure.

175

So they're exposed in utero and

then neonatally, so like equivalent

176

to when you're pregnant and then

the first few years of life.

177

And during that time, estrogens

in the mother's body organized the

178

development of the child's brain

and body and exposure to synthetic.

179

Hormone mimics during that time can

competitively bind developing receptors

180

and change the way they function, change

the way that the brain is organized,

181

ultimately leading to a long-term change.

182

In the total development of that being.

183

Kelsy: These can happen topically or

like orally or nas like with sniff,

184

like how do they get in the body?

185

it can happen across all sorts

of barriers in the mom's body

186

and affect the developing baby.

187

Emily Hilz: I would say that oral

exposure tends to be the best studied

188

and probably the most direct route.

189

I think topical is a really important

thing to talk about because a lot of

190

the cultural concern is around personal

care products that are used topically.

191

the thing with topical is I don't like.

192

A lot of them do not permeate the skin, we

do get these residues on us that are going

193

to get into our mouths and, open wounds.

194

There's plenty of ways for

something that you're only using

195

topically to get into your body.

196

And even though it's such a small amount,

that's exactly how these chemicals work

197

is it's like the lower the tiny amounts

that ultimately have the biggest impacts.

198

Kelsy: It's interesting too, and

like you said, probably very hard to

199

study all of the different effects.

200

But I hadn't ever thought of the,

I guess, competing nature of EDCs

201

against not only estrogen, but

other hormones within our bodies.

202

I'm sure it affects all of those

things too, but very, very interesting.

203

So I know you've also not only

just like studied in the lab, but

204

you've created into screen.org

205

as a way to sort of bridge that gap

from your research and what you guys

206

are studying in the lab to the everyday

person like me building a resource to

207

help people like me figure out what

EDCs are in our products and in our

208

environments and what we're exposed to.

209

So explain a little bit

about into screen.org,

210

why you created it and how you

would like it to be utilized

211

in our lives, how you use it.

212

Emily Hilz: Yeah, Soo screen is a

passion project that really took off.

213

It's not very heavily used or anything,

but it got a lot more attention

214

than I was ever expecting it to.

215

And what it is it's an

EDC scanner web app.

216

So it's not available on app stores.

217

It's just a website.

218

I wanted it to be that, because

there's a lot of me in Endo screen and

219

I'm somebody who doesn't like having

to download So I made it a website.

220

But it works on, both Android and iPhone.

221

It's a little more complicated on iPhone.

222

and what it is a scanner app

that you can use to take pictures

223

of product ingredient labels.

224

And this is really for

personal care products.

225

It doesn't work for food

or things like that.

226

It's for ingredient lists of

shampoo, soap a lot of stuff

227

you'd find in your bathroom.

228

It reads the label and compares it to a

database that I put together that I built

229

on top of previously existing databases.

230

So I took the most recent databases

that were available and then fine

231

tuned them to be very human and health

specific, and then gathered all of the

232

most recent research that I could find.

233

and so what it does is it reads the label,

compares it to the database, detects

234

any known endocrine disruptors, and then

essentially gives you a report back.

235

So if there's no EDCs, it just

says, no EDCs, you're great.

236

But if it does detect something that's

in our database, it will tell you.

237

What the chemical is in terms of

its name the known adverse health

238

impacts of it, like across systems.

239

So it'll be like this chemical is

associated with reproductive impacts or

240

neurodevelopmental disorders or cancer.

241

And then if you click on that, it'll

give you a dropdown list and it

242

actually shows you with links to the

research articles that association.

243

And I also wanted to include a little

bit of certainty, because that's

244

a thing with study EDCs you want

people to know okay, this chemical

245

has three research articles that link

it with, an adverse health effect.

246

That's not a lot.

247

Versus something like BPA that has, 2000

research articles linking it with adverse

248

health impacts in humans and in rodents.

249

'cause that's what's in the, database

human research or rodent research.

250

Because rodents are so

translatable to humans.

251

That's where we do most of

our preclinical research.

252

So yeah, I wanted to get that certainty

in there so that you could say, okay,

253

this one doesn't have a lot of research.

254

Maybe I don't need to be

so concerned about it.

255

Or Hey, this one's got a ton of

research across a whole host of things.

256

That's something I should

be more concerned about.

257

Kelsy: That's why I love

that you created it.

258

'cause I feel like you are in the

lab, you're doing the research

259

because as I said, I get a lot of

the marketing material, like the,

260

the, I'm like an advertiser dream

when it comes to non-toxic things.

261

And I'm like, well, I would really

like to learn this from someone who is

262

actually like in the lab researching this.

263

Because like you said, if there's three

studies, it's like, okay, hang on.

264

How, you know, is this a major

concern or can we, can we be a

265

little bit more human about it too?

266

and not just think, oh my gosh,

it's so negative for my health.

267

And I have played around

on and screen.org.

268

I tried it with some of my

personal care products and I

269

just got the , like, it was good.

270

A good product I guess, and had a good

label on it, which I was excited about.

271

But I loved the pie chart that you had on

there of the systems that EDCs affect and.

272

It was super fascinating to see that

reproductive had just like probably the

273

largest part of the pie chart on it.

274

I think it was under the Learn or the

health tab or one of those tabs, but

275

I was like, oh my gosh, reproductive.

276

If you guys go take a look, check it out.

277

I'll leave the link below because.

278

It's great for your products and like she

said, it's browser based so you don't have

279

to download another app, which is great.

280

And my husband loves that too, so he's

always like, I don't know why people

281

always think they need to create apps.

282

we need more browsers in this world.

283

So it's funny the tech people also agree

with you too, but yeah, I played around

284

with it and I think it's definitely worth

a, like a good, chunk of time just sort

285

of like going through it and seeing all

of the research surrounding it and little

286

dropdown menus on like, what can we do

if it's, in our cookware or she has like

287

helpful tips and tricks on there too.

288

So it's not just like the product

scanner, which is very, very

289

helpful, but it's also got.

290

all his studies and the

research surrounding it too.

291

So I loved it.

292

I've loved using it so far for the

last little bit looking up like just

293

different personal care products.

294

But I haven't found one that has

given me the report yet, so I'm

295

gonna have to keep searching.

296

'cause I know I have one, one of my

products my routine probably has it,

297

so I need to do it for all of them.

298

Emily Hilz: Yeah I will say, endo

screen really gives me like old school

299

internet vibes in a lot of ways, and

that's because I made it myself, I had

300

a lot of help from some of my software

engineer friends, but I did a lot of the

301

front end and I think that's a strength.

302

But in some ways, it is not necessarily

as accessible as it could be because it's

303

just hi, I'm a neuroscientist and here's

like a bunch of NIH studies connecting

304

this chemical with this outcome.

305

It's not entirely the most digestible.

306

Thing,

307

It's got a little bit of a hurdle to

use, but once it gets working, it works

308

great, I think, and it's just very.

309

No frill science forward I wasn't

trying to influence people's opinions.

310

I just wanted them to have

information when I made it.

311

So

312

Kelsy: You get that it reads that way.

313

And I will say, when you said, I forget

the words you used to describe it, but

314

not basically not the most tech forward

platform and like being, what did you say?

315

Like old two thousands old, you

know, two thousands based computer,

316

like it is a little bit nostalgic

and I actually really liked that.

317

So I liked using it that way.

318

I liked logging on and being

like, oh my gosh, wait, this

319

is so simple as a user to use.

320

So I loved it.

321

When talking about EDCs, are there

certain like safe unsafe levels

322

that we should watch out for?

323

And I'm sure it's very like

compound chemical dependent,

324

but are there truly like safe or

unsafe levels of EDC exposure?

325

Emily Hilz: No, that's the short answer.

326

but also, yes, again something

we've been talking about a lot and.

327

This episode is that the idea of

sensitive periods of development

328

where what is harmful at one age or

in one sex might not be harmful at a

329

different age or at a different sex.

330

but saying something that might not be at

a harmful level for me would be a child.

331

But, going to just like

levels of exposure.

332

The reason that these chemicals are legal

is because based on standard toxicological

333

testing, they're not toxicologically,

which means they don't kill cells.

334

But those hazard assessments don't

really look at endocrine mediated

335

outcomes and they're designed

for like immediate outcomes.

336

So they don.

337

Incorporate ideas about the long-term

of okay, the exposure happened this

338

point in time and then years and

years later is when you see the

339

development of an adverse health effect.

340

That's very, that's canonical.

341

EDC is this long latency period between

exposure and harmful health impacts.

342

Specifically because the latency tends

to be, you get exposed as developing

343

fetus and then you start seeing

impacts, probably around puberty when

344

you start going through activational

sex differences into adulthood.

345

So for safe exposure levels, but

those recommendations are mostly

346

for adults they're for like direct

toxicology, toxicological outcomes.

347

So I guess the answer is yes and no

based on our FDA health recommendations.

348

Absolutely.

349

And I'm, not in a position to fully

challenge that except to say that

350

there's all this research at levels

below the doses that have been tested

351

for these chemicals that prove that

they are harmful below the levels

352

that we're told they're safe at.

353

And then another thing to think about

in that context is that all of these

354

chemicals, the ones that we've tested,

which is only a small number of chemicals

355

that are even available, are being

produced, are being tested in isolation.

356

So they're only looking at one

chemical, but we're not exposed.

357

To anything in isolation.

358

So we do know for a fact that

the chemicals interact with each

359

other and when they do, they

can have compounding effects.

360

So even if you are maybe being exposed

at a safe level to one thing, you

361

also have six other chemicals at

any one time, at any one product.

362

Which kind of creates just like a

physiological state of exposure that

363

has, long-term physiological implications

that aren't being addressed right now by

364

our current regulatory recommendations.

365

Kelsy: I think what you're repeating is

well worth repeating because for me, I

366

had no idea even thinking about, yeah,

the differences between like ages or

367

our developmental stages, you know, it's

like, oh, I never even thought about this.

368

Like, I guess competitive affinity

for certain endogenous hormones.

369

Hormones that are naturally occurring

within our bodies versus these exogenous.

370

You know, endocrine disrupting

chemicals that might come in too.

371

And I'm picturing like a

little competitive race, right?

372

But like you said, for children

and for babies and they might

373

be more susceptible to them.

374

And same with, you know, later on in life

when things start to shift and change.

375

So I think that is well worth

repeating because that's something

376

that I'm definitely taking from this

episode, is something that just to be

377

a little bit more aware about because

I had never even thought about it.

378

And it's cool to also hear, I

guess, room for research growth.

379

There's always going to be more to

learn about the human body and thinking

380

about, okay, first we probably do have

to study in isolation, but then thinking

381

about all of these, like compounding

effects of all of them together

382

is probably, you know, next steps.

383

Because like you said,

it's not in isolation.

384

We're not exposed to them in isolation.

385

So lots more to learn and figure out.

386

I mean, like you said, it's what, 70

years ago was that that book was written,

387

so just thinking about, the next 70

and where we'll be at that time too.

388

Emily Hilz: Yeah, right now my

studies are using mixtures and I

389

was started out with an individual

chemical that was weekly estrogenic

390

and to find some behavioral and neuro

molecular impacts of exposure to that.

391

And now I'm doing the mixture research.

392

But it's hard because, it's, we're

just guessing ultimately, like what

393

people are really being exposed to.

394

What is like the most rep, the changes

by region, it changes by lifestyle,

395

it changes by sociodemographic.

396

Black women have higher body

burdens of EDCs than white women do.

397

And a big part of that is because

products that are advertised to

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them are like chockfull of EDCs.

399

So that's difficulty in terms

of just trying to come up with

400

recommendations for people.

401

And then also, on the topic of safe

levels of exposure I would be remiss if

402

I didn't talk about non monotonic dose

response curves, is a mouthful, but

403

basically what it means is not linear.

404

And so when chemicals are safety tested,

they're tested under the assumption

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that any chemical is gonna have a linear

effect on an adverse outcome, let's

406

say cell toxicity like killing a cell.

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Would be that a low level will have

less cell death than a high level.

408

But in general, and EDCs specifically

don't follow linear dose response

409

curves, at least not all the time.

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if you work under the assumption that the

effect is going to be linear, then you

411

work under the assumption that there is

a point at which there will be no effect.

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But.

413

I actually made a presentation about

414

research articles showing that you

take a chemical and then reduce

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that level even more like below the

one that they didn't see in effect,

416

then you start seeing effects again.

417

And that's why it's non monotonic,

because it's almost like a B shape

418

or like a bell curve or something

where it's harmful, not harmful again,

419

or, it's just not a straight line.

420

that's why I would say that there's not

really a safe level because a lot of

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them just haven't been tested at every

possible level in the first place.

422

And a lot of times we like find a

safe level and then go below it and

423

suddenly there's a new different impact.

424

Kelsy: That's very interesting too,

'cause yeah, you definitely think linear.

425

So I am very, very glad you made that

distinction as, probably a lot of us

426

were thinking like the more exposure,

the worse, the less exposure, the better.

427

And that might not necessarily work

out in every situation and might

428

definitely not have been researched

at every single possible level.

429

So I am very glad.

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Emily Hilz: looking for a sweet spot of.

431

Kelsy: Yeah, yeah.

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exactly.

433

Finding the sweet spot.

434

That's what the research is doing.

435

So you mentioned earlier too, how a

lot of people can get discouraged on

436

hearing about all of this information and

thinking, you know, safe versus unsafe

437

levels and now we've just said, you know,

let's not think of it on a linear curve

438

where the less is better or anything.

439

So what would you recommend, based on

your research, ways that we can approach

440

EDCs and EDC exposure healthily without

getting so discouraged mentally with

441

how much we are exposed to and the.

442

I guess lack of effort that we

can put in to changing our state

443

of our exposure from our great

grandparents, you know, way back when.

444

So what are your recommendations

for just approaching all of that?

445

Emily Hilz: One thing I will say,

is the idea of ancestral exposure.

446

Actually, in another study that I

published, we did like a six generation

447

rat research study, and we exposed the

first generation, and then we waited three

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generations and we exposed them again.

449

So it's called two hits,

three generations apart.

450

The goal was to show how like our

ancestral exposures interact with

451

modern chemical contaminants.

452

And so the point of me mentioning that

is that even though we can't change the

453

pests, like by reducing our exposure

we can still, have a positive impact.

454

Because what we found was that

exposure history did interact with

455

the current exposures to create,

future adverse impacts in offspring.

456

We're not completely

powerless in that regard.

457

And then, regarding just like

thinking about things linearly.

458

I would say that, hormones and EDCs don't

always have linear effects that I would

459

still say overall they're toxic compounds,

which means that reducing your exposure

460

is pretty much always gonna be a positive.

461

Dealing with the burnout is a question

that's really worth addressing.

462

And I think it from that perspective,

it's just like we are organic creatures

463

that are living in a world has

always affected us in a lot of ways.

464

If it wasn't chemicals now it

was like fire, smoke and coal

465

production, a hundred years ago.

466

I, that's what human civilization is.

467

And so I think it's just taking the

information we get and slowly integrating

468

it into our life and into our culture

and just striving to do better.

469

I still use products that I know have

EDCs in them, but I think it's important

470

for people to know and to make like

an informed decision and say, okay,

471

I love this shampoo so I'm gonna keep

using it, but I don't really care

472

about this body wash or hand soap,

so I'm gonna change that one out.

473

that's something we're working

towards with Endo screen.

474

We are making a downloadable app

I've given in and with that one we

475

want people to be able to actually

look up products and then add them

476

to a routine to see how that specific

product and the chemicals in it are.

477

To their weekly, monthly, yearly, EDC

exposure and then making a decision

478

like, okay, is this, makeup or soap

or body, whatever, worth the burden?

479

Or if I remove it, how much

does that reduce my body

480

burden and things like that.

481

I think that could be really

motivating for people to see the

482

actual impact one product could have

on their, long-term exposure level.

483

Kelsy: When is that coming out?

484

Emily Hilz: Good question.

485

The software development's hard.

486

I'm really hoping like January next year

487

Kelsy: 2027 or 2020?

488

Yeah.

489

Emily Hilz: Definitely 2026.

490

It's almost done.

491

We're just crossing the t's and dotting

the, i's trying to put together a really

492

big product database that people can

search and get recommendations from.

493

Kelsy: I love that.

494

And it'll have the routine ability

right off the bat, or is that further

495

on in the development process, I guess.

496

Emily Hilz: Yeah, it actually

already has the routine ability.

497

I think there's some ways

that I'd like to improve it.

498

Right now it's just like a static

thing and I want people to be

499

able to integrate how often they

use the product to have that be

500

represented as part of their routine.

501

So we're still fine tuning.

502

I would say we're like 75% of the

way through the development process.

503

And I am also a full-time

researcher who's in the process of

504

transitioning to starting my own lab.

505

So it's slow, but it's just

so cool that it's worth doing.

506

Kelsy: Well, I'm very excited about it.

507

Consider me a early adopter of the app.

508

If you, you know, let me

know when it comes out.

509

I'd love to test it out and

be a part of that 'cause I

510

think it's super, super cool.

511

Is there ways that we can support you

in what you're doing or anything we can

512

do to help what you're doing with Endo

screen or what you're doing in the lab?

513

Emily Hilz: If you use an Android,

you can our beta, which is really

514

not fully functional yet, but it'll

at least show you how it works.

515

That's on the play

store under Endo screen.

516

or just check out the website

and play around with it.

517

Use it to scan some products.

518

Maybe, you know what would help

me is pick one thing that has

519

EDCs in it and don't use it,

520

Kelsy: I love that.

521

Emily Hilz: Move to using glass

or just promise me that you won't

522

microwave your plastic Tupperware.

523

That's what I want.

524

Kelsy: A good one to end on because

I feel like it's the small habits

525

too, last year one of my goals was

to start decreasing toxicity within

526

the products that I use, the way that

I use things, whether it is plastic

527

Tupperware in the microwave or whatever.

528

And so I was very excited to get

you on and learn from you today too.

529

So I didn't tell you this either,

but I am pretty good friends with

530

people in the UT Pharmacy program and

one of my best friends went there.

531

His brother, his mom teaches

there sometimes, and now their

532

sisters going through the program.

533

And so I had reached out to

her and I was like, Hey, do you

534

know anyone who is in this lab?

535

And she was like, is there

anyone in particular?

536

And I was like, I would

really love to have Dr.

537

Emily on the podcast if

you happen to know her.

538

And she didn't.

539

But fortunately for me, you.

540

Agreed and were so kind to come on

and share your expertise because

541

I just, I really resonated with

what you were researching and

542

I knew a lot of people would.

543

So you were, I guess, one of my primary

people that I wanted her to hopefully

544

eventually connect me with if she

happened to know you, but she didn't.

545

And that's okay because you were

so kind to agree to do this.

546

But thank you so, so much for coming

on, for sharing your knowledge,

547

your expertise, end of screen with

us, the plans for end of screen

548

'cause I'm super excited about that.

549

And just all of the work you're doing

in the lab and I guess translating

550

that to the general public.

551

And hopefully this episode will help

other people to also understand a little

552

bit more about all of the different

factors that go into play within our

553

hormonal system and our brains and bodies

and dopamine systems and all of the

554

things that I know are very hot topics

right now that people really want to

555

learn about from experts like yourself.

556

So thank you.

557

Thank you.

558

Thank you.

559

Emily Hilz: Thank you so much.

560

Yeah, so much to cover, so little time,

a lot of minutia and always happy when

561

people reach out to me with interest

in learning about EDCs and I mean

562

that you can always just Google me and

send me an email and I'll talk to you.

563

Kelsy: It is the truth.

564

That's exactly what I did.

565

So I'm very, very appreciative.

566

Thank you for joining me on this episode.

567

I learned so much from you and I

know so many other people will too.

568

Thank you guys for listening.

569

I hope you enjoyed this episode

and learned so much from Dr.

570

Emily.

571

And I'll see you guys again in the next

episode of Wellness Exists, the pod.