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2.1 General Background 2.2 Generic Issues 2.3 Mechanisms of Endocrine Disruption in Humans and Wildlife
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Since the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (Carson, 1962), there has been increasing awareness that chemicals in the environment can exert profound and deleterious effects on wildlife populations and that human health is inextricably linked to the health of the environment. The last two decades, in particular, have witnessed a growing scientific concern, public debate, and media attention over the possible deleterious effects in humans and wildlife that may result from exposure to chemicals that have the potential to interfere with the endocrine system. The intensity of the concerns and lack of consensus among scientists can best be ameliorated by an objective evaluation of the available scientific data on the potential adverse effects of these chemicals from a global perspective. Countries lacking the necessary infrastructure to monitor and evaluate these chemicals expressed a particular need for an objective international assessment. The document builds on existing assessment documents and reviews (see Table 2.1) and is not intended as a thorough, comprehensive literature review. Only peer-reviewed literature or publicly available reports were evaluated. It is not a risk assessment or consensus document. Neither is it an assessment of available test methodologies for detecting EDCs. Both the OECD and a number of national organizations are addressing EDCs encompass a variety of chemical classes, including natural and synthetic hormones, plant constituents, pesticides, compounds used in the plastics industry and in consumer products, and other industrial by-products and pollutants. They are often pervasive and widely dispersed in the environment. Some are persistent, can be transported long distances across national boundaries, and have been found in virtually all regions of the world. Others are rapidly degraded in the environment or human body or may be present for only short periods of time but at critical periods of development. There are a number of complex issues that must be considered when evaluating the effects of endocrine disruptors (Ashby et al., 1997b; Ashby, 2000). These are summarized in this chapter and are discussed in detail in subsequent chapters (detailed references are also provided in subsequent chapters). Studies that clearly address exposure–outcome relationships are the most valuable in assessing the impact of EDCs on wildlife and human health. Unfortunately, many of the epidemiological or wildlife studies do not have good measures of exposure, which limits our ability to draw firm conclusions from them. This problem is especially prevalent for those EDCs that are rapidly degraded in the environment … |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/a76784_ch2.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
