Counting the cost of chemical
cocktails
SCI BioActive Sciences Group
Endocrine disrupting chemicals
London, 30 November 2004
 Humans
and wildlife are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals from food,
water and air on a daily basis. It is well established that
exposure to some chemicals is harmful to health. Despite this,
it is not always possible to determine the exact nature of
these harmful effects, especially when humans and wildlife
are exposed to mixtures of chemicals.
Over the last 15 years there has been increasing evidence
that some types of chemicals interfere with naturally occurring
hormones, those involved in the endocrine system in particular.
Such compounds, some of which are present as common pollutants,
are frequently known as ‘endocrine disrupting chemicals’.
They have been associated with a decline in fertility and
feminisation in aquatic environmental species (including reptiles,
amphibians and fish) and may result in falling sperm counts
and other effects in man. Several groups of chemicals have
been identified as being endocrine disrupters: controversially,
these include commonly-used surfactants and pesticides.
A number of key questions with regard to endocrine disrupting
chemicals remain unanswered, or require clarification. The
most fundamental are which chemicals can cause these effects,
how can they be identified, and how they bring about these
toxicities. In addition, while there are tests established
to identify chemicals that may cause these effects following
exposure to high concentrations, relatively little is known
about the effects of low doses (over a long period), and whether
the effects may be increased by action in mixtures.
A one-day meeting, ‘Environmental and human health effects
of endocrine disrupting chemicals’ on 30 November 2004 at
SCI’s London Headquarters, will bring together a number
of speakers who will address the topical areas relating to
endocrine disruption. The meeting is based around three areas:
experimentally determining the effects of endocrine disrupting
chemicals; their impact to the environment; and evidence of
effects to human health.
By Mark Cronin and Richard Greenwood
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