ToxSci Advance Access originally published online on February 16, 2008
Toxicological Sciences 2008 105(2):235-259; doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfn030
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Published by Oxford University Press 2008.
Fifteen Years after "Wingspread"—Environmental Endocrine Disrupters and Human and Wildlife Health: Where We are Today and Where We Need to Go
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* USEPA/NCSU Cooperative Training agreement (CT826512010), Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
Reproductive Toxicology Division, Endocrinology Branch, MD 72, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
Mid-continent Division, Toxic Effects Characterization Research Branch, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota 55804
Toxicology Operations Branch, NIH/NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
¶ Geography Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: (919) 541-4017. E-mail: gray.earl{at}epa.gov.
Received December 22, 2007; accepted February 8, 2008
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Abstract |
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In 1991, a group of expert scientists at a Wingspread work session on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) concluded that "Many compounds introduced into the environment by human activity are capable of disrupting the endocrine system of animals, including fish, wildlife, and humans. Endocrine disruption can be profound because of the crucial role hormones play in controlling development." Since that time, there have been numerous documented examples of adverse effects of EDCs in invertebrates, fish, wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Hormonal systems can be disrupted by numerous different anthropogenic chemicals including antiandrogens, androgens, estrogens, AhR agonists, inhibitors of steroid hormone synthesis, antithyroid substances, and retinoid agonists. In addition, pathways and targets for endocrine disruption extend beyond the traditional estrogen/androgen/thyroid receptor–mediated reproductive and developmental systems. For example, scientists have expressed concern about the potential role of EDCs in increasing trends in early puberty in girls, obesity and type II diabetes in the United States and other populations. New concerns include complex endocrine alterations induced by mixtures of chemicals, an issue broadened due to the growing awareness that EDCs present in the environment include a variety of potent human and veterinary pharmaceutical products, personal care products, nutraceuticals and phytosterols. In this review we (1) address what have we learned about the effects of EDCs on fish, wildlife, and human health, (2) discuss representative animal studies on (anti)androgens, estrogens and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin–like chemicals, and (3) evaluate regulatory proposals being considered for screening and testing these chemicals.
Key Words: endocrine disruptors; androgens; estrogens; dioxins; PCBs; Pharmaceuticals; Mixtures; Screening and Multigenerational Testing.
Disclaimer: The research described in the article has been reviewed by the National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the agency nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This research was supported [in part] by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.