Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: cause for concern, cause for action, but no cause for alarm
From sex changes in fish and alligators, to increased incidence of breast cancer and falling sperm counts, endocrine-disrupting chemicals have been accused of many things, but whereas there is evidence for effects on wildlife, the evidence linking them to human health problems is sometimes contradictory. These uncertainties and the recognition that, due to long-range transport of environmental pollutants, this problem is international rather than national, led the European Commission (DG XII), the European Environment Agency, and the European Centre for Environment and Health of the World Health Organization (WHO) to organize jointly an international workshop on the "Impact of endocrine disruptors on human health and the environment" (2-4 December, 1996, Weybridge, England). The workshop reviewed the evidence for potential risks of effects on humans as well as wildlife, evaluated current data, identified outstanding epidemiological questions, evaluated possible relationships with exposure to environmental pollutants, and identified gaps in present knowledge and needs for monitoring and future research. The overall conclusion of the workshop was that, although there is indeed cause for concern and for action, there is as yet no cause for alarm. The workshop was hosted by the UK Department of the Environment, and was supported by national authorities and agencies of Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands, as well as by European industrial organizations (CEFIC, ECETOC), and the OECD. It was attended by 79 participants from 11 European countries, the US and Japan, as well as representatives of the Commission, WHO, EEA, OECD, ESF, CEFIC and EEB (European Environmental Bureau). This is the first time that this important subject has been discussed at such an international level and where regulators, the scientific community, industry and NGOs have participated. Among the results and conclusions of the working groups are: - There are worrying health trends in Europe which include increased incidence of breast and testicular cancer, and possibly falling sperm counts. These vary considerably among areas, and neither the etiology nor the cause of the variation, which could be pollution, diet, lifestyle, or genetic, are currently known; - Although dramatic environmental effects in wildlife have been seen in the United States there do not appear to be any similar problems in Europe at the moment; - A common, rigorous definition of an endocrine-disruptor was established: "An exogenous substance that induces changes to the endocrine system that result in adverse health effects in exposed organisms or their progeny". This replaces the various definitions that had been in use previously, and is an essential step forward for regulatory purposes. The new definition makes it clear that, although there are many potential endocrine disruptors in our environment and/or diet, to date only a limited number of substances have actually been demonstrated to be endocrine-disruptors (these are already targeted for action at policy-level); - A draft screening/testing strategy was formulated for the first time, to assess the endocrine-disrupting hazard potential of substances; - The current level of knowledge of endocrine-disruptors is clearly inadequate and a concerted research effort is needed at international level to address the issue. Priority areas for research were identified by the workshop; A further outcome of this workshop will be an up-to-date written assessment of this global problem in a European perspective, with an identification of needs for future research and monitoring and, where appropriate, recommendations for regulatory measures at national, European Union, and global level. The report should be ready at the end of February 1997 and will be distributed to as wide an audience as possible.