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 Endocrine disruption: Where are we now: Tier 2 testing

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Ottinger ◽  
Kevin Flynn ◽  
Sigmund J Degitz ◽  
Tim Verslycke ◽  
Hank Krueger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Differential Sensitivity ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
End Points ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Testing Protocols

The focus of this session was on the proposed USEPA Endocrine Disruption Screening Program (EDSP) Tier 2 testing protocols. Tier 2 tests have been developed to evaluate the potential impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) over the life cycle across organisms representing vertebrate and invertebrate classes. Key aspects of these Tier 2 testing protocols rely on selecting appropriate measurement end points to reveal differential sensitivity and adverse impacts across an organism’s life stages. To this end, certain Tier 2 tests utilize a multigenerational protocol, which detect both short- and long-term effects. However, multigenerational testing protocols can be time consuming and costly. As such, other testing protocols have also been considered, including partial life-cycle and extended one-generation tests. Regardless of the specifics of the multigenerational protocol, it is critical to identify key measurement end points that are responsive, reliable, and repeatable indicators of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals; these measures should also provide information to enable initial assessments of risk translated from individual to potential population level effects across a variety of living organisms. Presentations in Session three of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America Focused Topic Meeting: Endocrine Disruption (February 4 – 6, 2014) focused on the current state of the science for EPA EDSP Tier 2 testing. Presentations in this session considered the strengths and weaknesses of the Tier 2 assays across several classes of organisms, and provided an industry perspective on Tier 2 testing. The interactive panel discussion provided an interesting perspective that balanced regulatory needs for reliable testing protocols that are highly repeatable and utilize consistent indices of exposure and adverse effect.

scholarly journals Endocrine disruption: Where are we now: Tier 2 testing

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Ottinger ◽  
Kevin Flynn ◽  
Sigmund J Degitz ◽  
Tim Verslycke ◽  
Hank Krueger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Differential Sensitivity ◽  
Tier 2 ◽  
End Points ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Testing Protocols

The focus of this session was on the proposed USEPA Endocrine Disruption Screening Program (EDSP) Tier 2 testing protocols. Tier 2 tests have been developed to evaluate the potential impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) over the life cycle across organisms representing vertebrate and invertebrate classes. Key aspects of these Tier 2 testing protocols rely on selecting appropriate measurement end points to reveal differential sensitivity and adverse impacts across an organism’s life stages. To this end, certain Tier 2 tests utilize a multigenerational protocol, which detect both short- and long-term effects. However, multigenerational testing protocols can be time consuming and costly. As such, other testing protocols have also been considered, including partial life-cycle and extended one-generation tests. Regardless of the specifics of the multigenerational protocol, it is critical to identify key measurement end points that are responsive, reliable, and repeatable indicators of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals; these measures should also provide information to enable initial assessments of risk translated from individual to potential population level effects across a variety of living organisms. Presentations in Session three of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America Focused Topic Meeting: Endocrine Disruption (February 4 – 6, 2014) focused on the current state of the science for EPA EDSP Tier 2 testing. Presentations in this session considered the strengths and weaknesses of the Tier 2 assays across several classes of organisms, and provided an industry perspective on Tier 2 testing. The interactive panel discussion provided an interesting perspective that balanced regulatory needs for reliable testing protocols that are highly repeatable and utilize consistent indices of exposure and adverse effect.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Endocrine Disruptors and Other Environmental Influences on Hormone Action

2019 ◽  
pp. 85-106
Author(s):  
Laura N. Vandenberg
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Hormone Action ◽  
Hormone Synthesis ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Dose Effects ◽  
History Of

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with hormone action by altering hormone synthesis, secretion, transport in the blood, binding to receptors, metabolism, or excretion. This chapter reviews the history of EDCs and other environmental chemicals, methods used to identify EDCs, and common uses for these chemicals in consumer products. It also describes major principles of endocrinology and how these features influence the actions of EDCs. This chapter will also evaluate controversies in the study and regulation of EDCs, including the concept of “low dose effects,” the question of whether humans are exposed to EDCs at levels that can cause harm, and the determination of “safe” doses of exposure. Finally, this chapter reviews other environmental factors that can influence the health of laboratory animals and interfere with the study of EDCs.

scholarly journals Thresholds and Endocrine Disruptors: An Endocrine Society Policy Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Demeneix ◽  
Laura N Vandenberg ◽  
Richard Ivell ◽  
R Thomas Zoeller
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Standard Uncertainty ◽  
Hormone Action ◽  
Endocrine Society ◽  
Uncertainty Factors ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Adverse Effect Level ◽  
Effect Level ◽  
Development Proceeds ◽  
Regulatory Guideline

Abstract The concept of a threshold of adversity in toxicology is neither provable nor disprovable. As such, it is not a scientific question but a theoretical one. Yet, the belief in thresholds has led to traditional ways of interpreting data derived from regulatory guideline studies of the toxicity of chemicals. This includes, for example, the use of standard “uncertainty factors” when a “No Adverse Effect Level” (or similar “benchmark dose”) is either observed, or not observed. In the context of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), this approach is demonstrably inappropriate. First, the efficacy of a hormone on different endpoints can vary by several orders of magnitude. This feature of hormone action also applies to EDCs that can interfere with that hormone. For this reason, we argue that the choice of endpoint for use in regulation is critical, but note that guideline studies were not designed with this in mind. Second, the biological events controlled by hormones in development not only change as development proceeds but are different from events controlled by hormones in the adult. Again, guideline endpoints were also not designed with this in mind, especially since the events controlled by hormones can be both temporally and spatially specific. The Endocrine Society has laid out this logic over several years and in several publications. Rather than being extreme views, they represent what is known about hormones and the chemicals that can interfere with them.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Introduction to the Theme

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lisco ◽  
Vito Angelo Giagulli ◽  
Michele Iovino ◽  
Edoardo Guastamacchia ◽  
Giovanni De Pergola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Hormone Synthesis ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting ◽  
Long Time

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are natural or synthetic compounds deriving from different human activities and are widely spread into the environment, contributing to indoor and outdoor pollution. EDCs may be conveyed by food and water consumption and skin, airways, placental, and breastfeeding. Upon entering the circulation, they can interfere with endocrine system homeostasis by several mechanisms. Aim: In this narrative review, the authors overviewed the leading mechanisms by which EDCs interact and disrupt the endocrine system, leading to possible human health concerns. Results: The leading mechanisms of EDCs-related toxicity have been illustrated in in vitro studies and animal models and may be summarized as follows: receptor agonism and antagonism; modulation of hormone receptor expression; interference with signal transduction in hormone-responsive cells; epigenetic modifications in hormone-producing or hormone-responsive cells; interference with hormone synthesis; interference with hormone transport across cell membranes; interference with hormone metabolism or clearance; interference with the destiny of hormone-producing or hormone-responsive cells. Discussion: Despite these well-defined mechanisms, some limitations do not allow for conclusive assumptions. Indeed, epidemiological and ecological studies are currently lacking and usually refer to a specific cluster of patients (occupational exposure). Methodological aspects could further complicate the issue since these studies could require a long time to provide useful information. The lack of a real unexposed group in environmental conditions, possible interference of EDCs mixture on biological results, and unpredictable dose-response curves for some EDCs should also be considered significant limitations. Conclusion: Given these limitations, specific observational and long-term studies are needed to identify at-risk populations for adequate treatment of exposed patients and effective prevention plans against excessive exposure to EDCs.

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