Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Wars: the Saga Continues: The Court Found the Commission in Failure to Act (and May Need to Strike Back Later)

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 629-633
Author(s):  
Apolline J.C. Roger
Keyword(s):  
European Commission ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Product Regulation ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Structural Weakness ◽  
Biocidal Product Regulation ◽  
Biocidal Product

Case T-521/14, Kingdom of Sweden v European Commission, Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 16 December 2015, ECLI:EU:T:2015:976Case T-521/14 is a new stop on the perilous journey towards the appropriate regulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals. The Biocidal Product Regulation required the Commission to adopt criteria defining endocrine disrupting properties by 13 December 2013; the deadline was not respected. Even though the failure to act was obvious, the Court's reasoning in T-521/14 matters greatly. It exposes a structural weakness in the EU's risk governance system by reminding the Commission that strong private opposition to regulatory action does not justify tampering with the level of environmental or health protection set by the legislator. The now adopted criteria indicate that this lesson was not taken to heart.

scholarly journals Assessing exposure of young children to common endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the home environment: a review and commentary of the questionnaire-based approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin English ◽  
Bridget Healy ◽  
Paul Jagals ◽  
Peter D. Sly
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Improved Methods ◽  
Infants And Young Children

AbstractAlthough infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) exposure, there is an absence of comprehensive exposure data for this age group. As young children spend the majority of their time indoors, improved methods of exposure assessment are needed to characterise the health risks from exposures in the home environment. Biologic assessment, which has been considered the gold standard for exposure assessment in recent years, is difficult to conduct in young children. Questionnaires are an alternative and indirect method of predicting exposure, which may overcome some of the limitations of direct exposure assessment.The feasibility of using a questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of young children to EDCs in the home has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, there is no one questionnaire that has been validated for predicting the exposure of infants to common EDCs in the home.The aim of this review is to discuss the use and validation of the questionnaire-based approach to predict exposure of children to chemicals from three common classes of EDCs in the home, namely, plasticisers, flame retardants, and insecticides. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the questionnaire-based approach as well as the important pathways of exposure in the home environment, by which to guide the design and validation of future exposure questionnaires.The findings from our review indicate that the questionnaire-based approach is a valuable tool in the prediction of exposure to persistent organic pollutants, as well as to toxicants that have consistent patterns of exposure. With improvements to the design and validation process, the questionnaire-based approach may also prove to be a reliable instrument in predicting exposure to EDCs with short-half lives, including bisphenol A, phthalates, and pyrethroid and organophosphate insecticides.

scholarly journals Degrading Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals from Wastewater by Photocatalysis: A Review

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Chung Sin ◽  
Sze-Mun Lam ◽  
Abdul Rahman Mohamed ◽  
Keat-Teong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Advanced Oxidation Processes ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Chemical Compounds ◽  
Heterogeneous Photocatalysis ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Degradation Mechanisms ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

Widespread concerns continue to be raised about the impacts of exposure to chemical compounds with endocrine disrupting activities. To date, the percolation of endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) effluent into the aquatic system remains an intricate challenge abroad the nations. With the innovation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), there has been a consistent growing interest in this research field. Hence, the aim of this paper is to focus one such method within the AOPs, namely, heterogeneous photocatalysis and how it is used on the abatement of EDCs, phthalates, bisphenol A and chlorophenols in particular, using TiO2-based catalysts. Degradation mechanisms, pathways, and intermediate products of various EDCs for TiO2photocatalysis are described in detail. The effect of key operational parameters on TiO2photocatalytic degradation of various EDCs is then specifically covered. Finally, the future prospects together with the challenges for the TiO2photocatalysis on EDCs degradation are summarized and discussed.

scholarly journals EU Regulation of Nanobiocides: Challenges in Implementing the Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR)

Nanomaterials ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Brinch ◽  
Steffen Hansen ◽  
Nanna Hartmann ◽  
Anders Baun
Keyword(s):  
Eu Regulation ◽  
Product Regulation ◽  
Biocidal Product Regulation ◽  
Biocidal Product

scholarly journals Involvement of the Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in Human Placentation

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie-Christine de Aguiar Greca ◽  
Ioannis Kyrou ◽  
Ryan Pink ◽  
Harpal Randeva ◽  
Dimitris Grammatopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Bewo Cells ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are environmental chemicals/toxicants that humans are exposed to, interfering with the action of multiple hormones. Bisphenol A (BPA) is classified as an EDC with xenoestrogenic activity with potentially adverse effects in reproduction. Currently, a significant knowledge gap remains regarding the complete spectrum of BPA-induced effects on the human placenta. As such, the present study examined the effects of physiologically relevant doses of BPA in vitro. Methods: qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, ELISA, microarray analyses, and bioinformatics have been employed to study the effects of BPA using nonsyncytialised (non-ST) and syncytialised (ST) BeWo cells. Results: Treatment with 3 nM BPA led to an increase in cell number and altered the phosphorylation status of p38, an effect mediated primarily via the membrane-bound estrogen receptor (GPR30). Nonbiased microarray analysis identified 1195 and 477 genes that were differentially regulated in non-ST BeWo cells, whereas in ST BeWo cells, 309 and 158 genes had altered expression when treated with 3 and 10 nM, respectively. Enriched pathway analyses in non-ST BeWo identified a leptin and insulin overlap (3 nM), methylation pathways (10 nM), and differentiation of white and brown adipocytes (common). In the ST model, most significantly enriched were the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway (3 nM) and mir-124 predicted interactions with cell cycle and differentiation (10 nM). Conclusion: Collectively, our data offer a new insight regarding BPA effects at the placental level, and provide a potential link with metabolic changes that can have an impact on the developing fetus.

scholarly journals The different effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on estrogen receptor-mediated transcription through interaction with coactivator TRAP220 in uterine tissue

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 551-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Inoshita ◽  
H Masuyama ◽  
Y Hiramatsu
Keyword(s):  
Estrogen Receptor ◽  
Bisphenol A ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Uterine Tissue ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting

An endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) can alter endocrine functions through a variety of mechanisms, including nuclear receptor-mediated changes in protein synthesis, interference with membrane receptor binding, steroidogenesis or synthesis of other hormones. Although major chemicals have been shown to disrupt estrogenic actions mainly through their binding to estrogen receptor (ER) or androgen receptor, it is not clear how EDCs affect endocrine functions in vivo. We present evidence that the EDCs bisphenol A and phthalate activate ER-mediated transcription through interaction with TRAP220. Moreover, bisphenol A had positive effects on the interaction between ER-beta and TRAP220 and on the expression of ER-beta and TRAP220 compared with phthalate and estradiol in uterine tIssue. These data suggested that some EDCs might alter endocrine function through the change of the receptor and coactivator levels in uterine tIssue and through the different effect on the interaction between ERs and coactivator TRAP220.

scholarly journals Differential susceptibility to endocrine disruptor-induced epimutagenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake D Lehle ◽  
John R McCarrey
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Chemical Exposure ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Cell Type Specific ◽  
Available Information

Abstract There is now considerable evidence indicating the potential for endocrine disrupting chemicals to alter the epigenome and for subsets of these epigenomic changes or “epimutations” to be heritably transmitted to offspring in subsequent generations. While there have been many studies indicating how exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can disrupt various organs associated with the body’s endocrine systems, there is relatively limited information regarding the relative susceptibility of different specific organs, tissues, or cell types to endocrine disrupting chemical-induced epimutagenesis. Here we review available information about different organs, tissues, cell types, and/or cell lines which have been shown to be susceptible to specific endocrine disrupting chemical-induced epimutations. In addition, we discuss possible mechanisms that may be involved, or impacted by this tissue- or cell type-specific, differential susceptibility to different endocrine disrupting chemicals. Finally, we summarize available information indicating that certain periods of development display elevated susceptibility to endocrine disrupting chemical exposure and we describe how this may affect the extent to which germline epimutations can be transmitted inter- or transgenerationally. We conclude that cell type-specific differential susceptibility to endocrine disrupting chemical-induced epimutagenesis is likely to directly impact the extent to, or manner in, which endocrine disrupting chemical exposure initially induces epigenetic changes to DNA methylation and/or histone modifications, and how these endocrine disrupting chemical-induced epimutations can then subsequently impact gene expression, potentially leading to the development of heritable disease states.

scholarly journals Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Public Health Protection: A Statement of Principles from The Endocrine Society

Endocrinology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (9) ◽  
pp. 4097-4110 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Thomas Zoeller ◽  
T. R. Brown ◽  
L. L. Doan ◽  
A. C. Gore ◽  
N. E. Skakkebaek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Tissue Cell ◽  
Endocrine Society ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Hormone Synthesis ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Irreversible Effects

An endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) is an exogenous chemical, or mixture of chemicals, that can interfere with any aspect of hormone action. The potential for deleterious effects of EDC must be considered relative to the regulation of hormone synthesis, secretion, and actions and the variability in regulation of these events across the life cycle. The developmental age at which EDC exposures occur is a critical consideration in understanding their effects. Because endocrine systems exhibit tissue-, cell-, and receptor-specific actions during the life cycle, EDC can produce complex, mosaic effects. This complexity causes difficulty when a static approach to toxicity through endocrine mechanisms driven by rigid guidelines is used to identify EDC and manage risk to human and wildlife populations. We propose that principles taken from fundamental endocrinology be employed to identify EDC and manage their risk to exposed populations. We emphasize the importance of developmental stage and, in particular, the realization that exposure to a presumptive “safe” dose of chemical may impact a life stage when there is normally no endogenous hormone exposure, thereby underscoring the potential for very low-dose EDC exposures to have potent and irreversible effects. Finally, with regard to the current program designed to detect putative EDC, namely, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, we offer recommendations for strengthening this program through the incorporation of basic endocrine principles to promote further understanding of complex EDC effects, especially due to developmental exposures.

scholarly journals Introduction to the science and regulation concerning endocrine disrupting chemicals: the challenges ahead

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annegaaike Leopold ◽  
Glen Van Der Kraak ◽  
Mary K. Manibusan ◽  
Niklas Andersson ◽  
James R. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Current Status ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Advisory Groups ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

Presentations in session one of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America Focused Topic Meeting: Endocrine Disruption (February 4 – 6, 2014) described where the science and the regulations have arrived and identified the key challenges that lie ahead. The first presentation gave an overview of where the endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) issue currently stands in terms of science and policy. It introduced the significant debate about whether suspected EDCs should be evaluated using a hazard-based or a risk-based approach. Subsequent presentations provided a synopsis of the US-EPA Endocrine Disruption Screening Program (EDSP), including a description of the legislative origins of the program, its risk-based nature, its evolution and its future through the input of multi-stakeholder advisory groups. A presentation was given about the current status of potential regulatory activities in the European Union (EU) relative to EDCs and the fact that it is a highly political subject in Europe was highlighted. Finally an EU- industry perspective was given on the repercussions of hazard versus risk-based approaches for EDCs. Both European speakers noted that the regulatory situation in the EU is not set and that at present it is not possible to predict exactly how EDCs will be addressed.

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