[Effects of nonylphenol on the reproductive system of male animals]

The research on endocrine disrupters has become one of the key directions in the field of environmental medical science. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are widely used in industry and family washing as one of the non-ionic surfactants. NPEs can be degraded biologically to nonylphenol (NP), whose estrogenic effects or toxicity may do harm to the reproductive systems of male fish, amphibians and mammals. Thus it is an urgent affair to develop perfect assays, evaluate the harm of these chemicals to human beings, find the exact mechanism of action and restrict the use of NPEs.