Xenoestrogens are a type of
xenohormone that imitates
estrogen. They can be either synthetic or natural
chemical compounds. Synthetic xenoestrogens are widely used industrial compounds, such as
PCBs,
BPA and
phthalates, which have estrogenic effects on a living organism even though they differ chemically from the estrogenic substances produced internally by the
endocrine system of any organism. Natural xenoestrogens include
phytoestrogens which are plant-derived xenoestrogens. Because the primary route of exposure to these compounds is by consumption of phytoestrogenic plants, they are sometimes called "dietary estrogens".
Mycoestrogens, estrogenic substances from
fungi, are another type of xenoestrogen that are also considered
mycotoxins.