PEARCE: Puberty, plastics and the hormones of a generation

PEARCE: Puberty, plastics and the hormones of a generation

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT the challenges facing today’s youth, we often talk about screens, stress and social pressures. But there’s another, quieter influence reshaping young lives: microplastics in everyday materials, which may subtly alter developing hormones in boys. Puberty is not just a rite of passage; it is a critical developmental window. Hormones surge, the brain wires for adulthood and bodies grow at remarkable speed. Testosterone orchestra…