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Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation pp 55–70Cite as

Impacts of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Reproduction in Wildlife

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 753))

Abstract

The European Environment Agency (The Weybridge + 15 (1996–2011) report. EEA Technical report, vol 2. Copenhagen, 2012) and the United Nations Environment programme together with the World Health Organisation (State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals-2012. Geneva, Switzerland) both recently published major and highly authoritative reviews of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the natural environment and their effects on reproduction and health in both humans and wildlife. One surprising conclusion to emerge from these reviews was that there are relatively few well documented reports of endocrine disruption (ED) in wild mammals, mainly because much of the available evidence is correlative and does not conclusively demonstrate that the chemicals in question cause the physiological and phenotypic problems attributed to them. However, based on strong evidence from studies of wild birds, reptiles, invertebrates, and laboratory animals, it is difficult to imagine that wild mammals would be the exception. This chapter is therefore included to emphasize the point that the role of reproductive science within wildlife conservation is much broader than a narrow focus on artificial breeding technologies.

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Acknowledgements 

The authors are grateful to Dr Alice Baynes (Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK) for her constructive comments during preparation of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for the Environment, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK

    Emmelianna Kumar B.Sc., M.Sc.

  2. Academic Department of Reproductive and Developmental Medicine, University of Sheffield, Jessop Wing, Tree Root Walk, Sheffield, S10 2SF, UK

    William V. Holt Ph.D.

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  1. Emmelianna Kumar B.Sc., M.Sc.
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  2. William V. Holt Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Emmelianna Kumar B.Sc., M.Sc. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Metabolism, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

    William V. Holt

  2. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Janine L. Brown

  3. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia, USA

    Pierre Comizzoli

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Kumar, E., Holt, W.V. (2014). Impacts of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Reproduction in Wildlife. In: Holt, W., Brown, J., Comizzoli, P. (eds) Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 753. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0820-2_4

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