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Environmental endocrine disruption: an effects assessment and analysis
T M Crisp1, E D Clegg, R L Cooper
1U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC 20460, USA. crisp.thomas@epamail.epa.gov
Environmental Health Perspectives
|April 16, 1998
Summary
Environmental endocrine disruptors impact human and wildlife health, affecting hormonal systems, reproduction, and potentially causing cancers. Research highlights data gaps and ongoing EPA efforts to address this issue.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Endocrinology involves hormones regulating bodily functions.
- Endocrine disruptors are chemicals interfering with hormone systems.
- These disruptions can affect humans, wildlife, and ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an objective overview of environmental endocrine disruption.
- To assess the current scientific understanding and identify knowledge gaps.
- To evaluate the impact on human and wildlife health and ecological systems.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of scientific data.
- Examination of laboratory testing and wildlife studies.
- Objective assessment of hypotheses and opposing viewpoints.
Main Results:
- Endocrine disruption affects the central nervous system, reproductive systems, and thyroid function.
- Potential links to cancers (breast, testicular, prostate) and endometriosis are evaluated.
- Ecological effects on marine invertebrates and vertebrates are documented.
Conclusions:
- Significant data gaps exist in understanding environmental endocrine disruption.
- Further research is needed to fully assess risks.
- The EPA is actively developing policies and research initiatives.
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01:36Types of Toxins
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Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
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Environmental pollutants like...
01:26Toxic Reactions: Overview
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
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01:10An Overview of the Endocrine System
The endocrine system, a complex network of glands, orchestrates physiological balance within the body through the production and secretion of hormones. These hormones are chemical messengers in intercellular communication, acting as conduits between the secretory cells and distant target sites. They traverse the circulatory system by being released into the extracellular fluid, and their impact is specific to cells possessing receptors for a particular hormone.
The endocrine system collaborates...
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01:08Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System
A signaling cascade is a series of events that facilitates the transmission of information within or between cells, culminating in a targeted response in the recipient cell. As chemical messengers, hormones are pivotal in initiating and modulating these intricate signaling cascades based on their solubility.
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...
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01:23Toxicity Testing in Animals
Toxicity tests in animals are grounded on two main assumptions: first, the effects observed in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans, especially when adjusted for body surface area; second, high-dose exposure in animals is essential to identify potential human hazards from lower doses. This is based on the quantal dose-response concept, which faces the challenge of extrapolating results from relatively few test animals to much larger human populations. For example, a 0.01% incidence...