Endocrine disruptors: hormone-active chemicals from the environment: a risk to humans?

Many substances from the technical and natural environment can cause damage to the endocrine system. Animal tests show that so-called endocrine disruptors (ED), such as pesticides, fungicides, plasticizers (phthalates), bisphenol A (BPA), and organotin compounds can interfere with the endocrine system. In humans, it is difficult to attribute such changes to specific ED. Nevertheless, in vitro studies with human cells and tissues clearly show that ED are able to interfere with endogenous hormones, i. e. affecting the steroid hormone metabolism and intracellular signaling. Several clinical studies show that humans are also affected, including reproductive disorders like reduction of spermatogenesis, decreased testosterone production or malformation of the genitals or induction of tumors like mammary carcinoma. Facing the body of reports documenting the effects of ED, the European Union supported - inter alia - COMPRENDO, a project addressing risk assessment of particular ED in human and wildlife species, while the FDA supports the industry's actions to stop producing BPA-containing baby bottles and infant feeding cups. Some ED show an u-shaped dose response curve and specific ED have effects at levels dramatically lower than thought relevant to traditional toxicology, a phenomenon termed Low Dose Impact. Further research is needed to clarify whether the observed findings represent associations or causal results. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart - New York.