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Risk Assessment of Endocrine Disrupters

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Endocrine Disrupters

Part of the book series: Environmental Science and Technology Library ((ENST,volume 18))

Summary

For human populations a hypothesis has been put forward that increased incidence of breast and testicular cancers, and aspects of reduced reproductive function, especially in males, is caused by an increased exposure to endocrine disrupters (EDs). This paper overviews the evidence for these links and expands them to the data relative to neurotoxicity, thyroid-and immunomodulation caused by EDs. Wildlife data are considered to the extent that they may be relevant to the health issues for humans.

The available data are discussed in a context of the risk assessment paradigm: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterisation. The underlying aim is to investigate the possibility of quantifying the risks caused by EDs.

Although no definitive proof exists, there is increasingly sound evidence for the ED hypothesis. It is, however, not possible to quantify the health consequences of ED exposure in a reliable way. Fundamental information is currently lacking for each of the steps of the risk assessment paradigm. The most important knowledge gaps concern: the availability of a validated set of EDs tests, knowledge on the mechanisms through which EDs act, an integrated exposure assessment of EDs as a group, exposure and effects at sensitive periods of development, and validated dose-response relationships for effects caused by EDs.

An attempt to quantify the effects of EDs is an interesting exercise in rendering gaps in knowledge and making understanding clear and transparent. These gaps provide the basis for the controversy which exists on the need for regulation of EDs. While waiting for more results of studies unravelling the relationship between EDs in the environment and adverse health effects, a policy attitude based upon the ‘precautionary principle’ seems to be the only sensible one.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Ecology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090, Brussel, Belgium

    L. Hens

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  1. L. Hens
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical School, Department of Pathology, National and Capodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Polyxeni Nicolopoulou-Stamati (ASPIS Project Co-ordinator) (ASPIS Project Co-ordinator)

  2. Human Ecology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090, Brussel, Belgium

    Luc Hens

  3. Fetal and Infant Toxico-Pathology, University of Liverpool, Mulberry Street, L69 7ZA, Liverpool, UK

    C. V. Howard

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Hens, L. (2001). Risk Assessment of Endocrine Disrupters. In: Nicolopoulou-Stamati, P., Hens, L., Howard, C.V. (eds) Endocrine Disrupters. Environmental Science and Technology Library, vol 18. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9769-2_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9769-2_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5729-7

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