Editing Endocrine disruptor (section)

==History==
The term ''endocrine disruptor'' was coined in 1991 at the Wingspread Conference Center in Wisconsin. One of the early papers on the phenomenon was by [[Theo Colborn]] in 1993.<ref name="pmid8080506">{{cite journal |vauthors=Colborn T, vom Saal FS, Soto AM | title = Developmental effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans | journal = Environ. Health Perspect. | volume = 101 | issue = 5 | pages = 378–84 |date=October 1993 | pmid = 8080506 | pmc = 1519860 | doi = 10.2307/3431890 | jstor = 3431890 }}</ref>  In this paper, she stated that environmental chemicals disrupt the development of the endocrine system, and that effects of exposure during development are often permanent.
Although the endocrine disruption has been disputed by some,<ref name='Grady2010'>{{cite news |title=In Feast of Data on BPA Plastic, No Final Answer | vauthors = Grady D | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/science/07bpa.html | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] | date = 6 September 2010 | quote = A fierce debate has resulted, with some dismissing the whole idea of endocrine disruptors. }}</ref> work sessions from 1992 to 1999 have generated consensus statements from scientists regarding the hazard from endocrine disruptors, particularly in wildlife and also in humans.<ref name="isbn0-911131-35-3">{{cite book | vauthors = Bern HA, Blair P, Brasseur S, Colborn T, Cunha GR, Davis W, Kohler KD, Fox G, Fry M, Gray E, Green R, Hines M, Kubiak TJ, McLachlan J, Myers JP, Peterson RE, Reijnders PJ, Soto A, Van Der Kraal G, vom Saal F, Whitten P | veditors = Clement C, Colborn T | title = Chemically-induced alterations in sexual and functional development-- the wildlife/human connection | chapter = Statement from the Work Session on Chemically-Induced Alterations in Sexual Development: The Wildlife/Human Connection | publisher = Princeton Scientific Pub. Co | location = Princeton, N.J | year = 1992 | pages = 1–8 | isbn = 978-0-911131-35-2 | chapter-url = http://www.endocrinedisruption.org/files/wingspread_consensus_statement.pdf | access-date = 26 September 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110726031909/http://www.endocrinedisruption.org/files/wingspread_consensus_statement.pdf | archive-date = 26 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="pmid17539108">{{cite journal | vauthors =  Bantle J, Bowerman WW IV, Carey C, Colborn T, Deguise S, Dodson S, Facemire CF, Fox G, Fry M, Gilbertson M, Grasman K, Gross T, Guillette L, Henny C, Henshel DS, Hose JE, Klein PA, Kubiak TJ, Lahvis G, Palmer B, Peterson C, Ramsay M, White D | title = Statement from the Work Session on Environmentally induced Alterations in Development: A Focus on Wildlife | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 103 | issue = Suppl 4 | pages = 3–5 | date = May 1995 | pmid = 17539108 | pmc = 1519268 | doi = 10.2307/3432404 | jstor = 3432404 }}</ref><ref name="isbn1-880611-19-8">{{cite book | vauthors = Benson WH, Bern HA, Bue B, Colborn T, Cook P, Davis WP, Denslow N, Donaldson EM, Edsall CC, Fournier M, Gilbertson M, Johnson R, Kocan R, Monosson E, Norrgren L, Peterson RE, Rolland R, Smolen M, Spies R, Sullivan C, Thomas P, Van Der Kraak G | veditors = Rolland RM, Gilbertson M, Peterson RE | title = Chemically Induced Alterations in Functional Development and Reproduction of Fishes | publisher = Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemist | year = 1997 | chapter = Statement from the work session on chemically induced alterations in functional development and reproduction of fishes | pages = [https://archive.org/details/chemicallyinduce1997unse/page/3 3–8] | isbn = 978-1-880611-19-7 | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/chemicallyinduce1997unse/page/3 }}</ref><ref name="pmid9460166">{{cite journal | vauthors = Alleva E, Brock J, Brouwer A, Colborn T, Fossi MC, Gray E, Guillette L, Hauser P, Leatherland J, MacLusky N, Mutti A, Palanza P, Parmigiani S, Porterfield, Santi R, Stein SA, vom Saal F | title = Statement from the work session on environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals: neural, endocrine, and behavioral effects | journal = Toxicology and Industrial Health | volume = 14 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 1–8 | year = 1998 | pmid = 9460166 | doi = 10.1177/074823379801400103 | bibcode = 1998ToxIH..14....1. | s2cid = 45902764 }}</ref><ref name="Brook_1999">{{cite journal |vauthors=Brock J, Colborn T, Cooper R, Craine DA, Dodson SF, Garry VF, Gilbertson M, Gray E, Hodgson E, Kelce W, Klotz D, Maciorowski AF, Olea N, Porter W, Rolland R, Scott GI, Smolen M, Snedaker SC, Sonnenschein C, Vyas NB, Welshons WV, Whitcomb CE | title = Statement from the Work Session on Health Effects of Contemporary-Use Pesticides: the Wildlife / Human Connection | journal = Toxicol Ind Health | volume = 15 | issue = 1–2 | pages = 1–5 | year = 1999 | doi = 10.1191/074823399678846547| bibcode = 1999ToxIH..15....1. }}</ref>

[[The Endocrine Society]] released a scientific statement outlining mechanisms and effects of endocrine disruptors on "male and female reproduction, breast development and cancer, prostate cancer, neuroendocrinology, thyroid, metabolism and obesity, and cardiovascular endocrinology," and showing how experimental and epidemiological studies converge with human clinical observations "to implicate endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs) as a significant concern to [[public health]]."  The statement noted that it is difficult to show that endocrine disruptors cause human diseases, and it recommended that the [[precautionary principle]] should be followed.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite journal | vauthors = Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Bourguignon JP, Giudice LC, Hauser R, Prins GS, Soto AM, Zoeller RT, [[Andrea Gore|Gore AC]] | title = Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: an Endocrine Society scientific statement | journal = Endocrine Reviews | volume = 30 | issue = 4 | pages = 293–342 | date = June 2009 | pmid = 19502515 | pmc = 2726844 | doi = 10.1210/er.2009-0002 }}</ref> A concurrent statement expresses policy concerns.<ref>{{cite journal | year = 2009 | title = Position statement: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals | journal = Endocrine News | volume = 34 | issue = 8 | pages = 24–27 | url = http://www.endo-society.org/advocacy/policy/upload/Endocrine-Disrupting-Chemicals-Position-Statement.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101030032442/http://endo-society.org/advocacy/policy/upload/Endocrine-Disrupting-Chemicals-Position-Statement.pdf | archive-date = 30 October 2010 }}</ref>

Endocrine disrupting compounds encompass a variety of chemical classes, including drugs, pesticides, compounds used in the [[plastics industry]] and in consumer products, industrial by-products and pollutants, [[heavy metals]] and even some naturally produced botanical chemicals. Industrial chemicals such as parabens, phenols and phthalates are also considered potent endocrine disruptors.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Sangeetha S, Vimalkumar K, Loganathan BG |title=Environmental Contamination and Human Exposure to Select Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: A Review |journal=Sustainable Chemistry |date=June 2021 |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=343–380 |doi=10.3390/suschem2020020 |doi-access=free |language=en |issn=2673-4079}}</ref> Some are pervasive and widely dispersed in the environment and may [[bioaccumulation|bioaccumulate]]. Some are [[persistent organic pollutants]] (POPs), and can be transported long distances across national boundaries and have been found in virtually all regions of the world, and may even concentrate near the North Pole, due to weather patterns and cold conditions.<ref name="Cold, Clear, and Deadly">{{cite web | url = https://msupress.org/9780870138027/cold-clear-and-deadly/ | title = Cold, Clear, and Deadly | vauthors = Visser MJ | access-date = 14 April 2012 }}</ref> Others are rapidly degraded in the environment or human body or may be present for only short periods of time.<ref name="urlREPIDISCA-Global assessment of the state-of-the-science of endocrine disruptors">{{cite web | url = http://bases.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind.exe/iah/online/?IsisScript=iah/iah.xis&src=google&base=REPIDISCA&lang=p&nextAction=lnk&exprSearch=7600&indexSearch=ID | title = REPIDISCA-Global assessment of the state-of-the-science of endocrine disruptors |vauthors=Damstra T, Barlow S, Bergman A, Kavlock R, Van der Kraak G | year = 2002 | work = International programme on chemical safety, World Health Organization| access-date = 14 March 2009}}</ref> Health effects attributed to endocrine disrupting compounds include a range of reproductive problems (reduced fertility, male and female [[reproductive tract]] abnormalities, and skewed male/female [[sex ratio]]s, loss of fetus, menstrual problems<ref name="urlwww.cranfield.ac.uk">{{cite web | url = http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/health/researchareas/environmenthealth/ieh/ieh%20publications/a1.pdf | title = Environmental oestrogens: consequences to human health and wildlife | vauthors = Harrison PT, Humfrey CD, Litchfield M, Peakall D, Shuker LK | year = 1995 | work = IEH assessment | publisher = Medical Research Council, Institute for Environment and Health | access-date = 14 March 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110928081421/http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/health/researchareas/environmenthealth/ieh/ieh%20publications/a1.pdf | archive-date = 28 September 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref>); changes in hormone levels; early puberty; brain and behavior problems; impaired immune functions; and various cancers.<ref name="urle.hormone | EDC Human Effects">{{cite web | url = http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/human-effects.html | title = EDC Human Effects | work = e.hormone | publisher = Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities | access-date = 14 March 2009}}</ref>

One example of the consequences of the exposure of developing animals, including humans, to hormonally active agents is the case of the drug [[diethylstilbestrol]] (DES), a [[nonsteroidal]] [[estrogen]] and not an environmental pollutant. Prior to its ban in the early 1970s, doctors prescribed DES to as many as five million pregnant women to block spontaneous abortion, an [[off-label use]] of this medication prior to 1947. It was discovered after the children went through puberty that DES affected the development of the reproductive system and caused [[vaginal cancer]].  The relevance of the DES saga to the risks of exposure to endocrine disruptors is questionable, as the doses involved are much higher in these individuals than in those due to environmental exposures.<ref name="pmid9557209">{{cite journal |vauthors=Golden RJ, Noller KL, Titus-Ernstoff L, Kaufman RH, Mittendorf R, Stillman R, Reese EA | title = Environmental endocrine modulators and human health: an assessment of the biological evidence | journal = Crit. Rev. Toxicol. | volume = 28 | issue = 2 | pages = 109–227 |date=March 1998 | pmid = 9557209 | doi = 10.1080/10408449891344191 }}</ref>

[[:wikt:aquatic|Aquatic]] life subjected to endocrine disruptors in an urban effluent have experienced decreased levels of [[serotonin]] and increased feminization.<ref>{{cite book | title = Progress in Environmental Research | vauthors = Willis IC | year = 2007 | publisher = Nova Publishers | location = New York | isbn = 978-1-60021-618-3 | page = 176 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=So6jCeIDk74C }}</ref>

In 2013 the [[WHO]] and the [[United Nations Environment Programme]] released a study, the most comprehensive report on EDCs to date, calling for more research to fully understand the associations between EDCs and the risks to health of human and animal life.  The team pointed to wide gaps in knowledge and called for more research to obtain a fuller picture of the health and environmental impacts of endocrine disruptors.  To improve global knowledge the team has recommended:
* Testing: known EDCs are only the 'tip of the iceberg' and more comprehensive testing methods are required to identify other possible endocrine disruptors, their sources, and routes of exposure.
* Research: more scientific evidence is needed to identify the effects of mixtures of EDCs on humans and wildlife (mainly from industrial by-products) to which humans and wildlife are increasingly exposed.
* Reporting: many sources of EDCs are not known because of insufficient reporting and information on chemicals in products, materials and goods.
* Collaboration: more data sharing between scientists and between countries can fill gaps in data, primarily in developing countries and emerging economies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.who.int/ceh/publications/endocrine/en/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223023915/http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/endocrine/en/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 February 2013 |title=State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals – 2012 |publisher=World Health Organization |date=2013 |access-date=6 April 2015}}</ref>