Endocrine disruptors disruptor research

United States Environmental Protection Agency Endocrine Disruptor Research Inititative. http //www.epa.gov/endocrine/ 2006. 

Taniyasu S, Yamashita N, Pettrick G, Kannan K, Gamo T, Lam P, Giesy JP (2003b) Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Related Compounds in Open Ocean Water. 6th Annual Meeting of Japan Society of Endocrine Disruptors Research, December,... 

Three chapters in this volume describe expensive and extensive research efforts devoted to images of risk. Stephen Safe assesses the research that fails to find any health from endocrine disruptors in the environment. Bruce Ames and Lois Swirsky Gold review the collapse of the scientific underpinnings for the assertion that environmental chemicals are a major cause of cancer. Bernard L. Cohen contrasts the absence of data to show that nuclear power plants have caused death and disease with the near-total demise of the nuclear power industry because of assertions about cancer risks from the plants. 

Careful research has weakened assertions that environmental chemicals are endocrine disruptors and major causes of cancer. Environmental organizations still tout the risks to raise the public s awareness—they say—and to solicit contributions. Government officials, in charge of programs to investigate the risks, continue to provide funds to scientists who look for evidence to support the assertions and to programs that test chemicals for effects that have little, at best, and more likely, no, relationship to human health. Environmental organizations publicity and gov-... 

Assertions of risk, which in risk assessment are analogous to a hypothesis in science, do not have to withstand tests. Theo Col-born, an author of Our Stolen Future, stated, Just because we don t have the evidence doesn t mean there are no effects. 10 Exactly we may have overlooked something in our search for evidence. But, in context, Colborn s statement went much further. It was made after several years of scientific research had failed to support her assertions about endocrine disruptors. Her statement brushed the evidence aside. No matter how much information is... 

The hypothesis that environmental endocrine disruptors may contribute to diseases of the male reproductive tract has spurred considerable research on this area, with a particular emphasis on changes that have occurred over time. There are no apparent global changes in sperm counts and fertility, rates of hypospadias and cryptorchidism, and birth sex ratios. Testicular cancer is increasing in most countries, but it is not correlated with other indicators of male reproductive capacity. Moreover, testicular cancer is increasing while DDE and other POPs are decreasing, suggesting that exposure to these compounds is not linked to testicular cancer. 

The Wall Street Journal article resulted in a less than complimentary letter from a member of the National Research Council (NRC) panel on endocrine disruptors to NRC staff indicating that Safe has undermined the work of the panel and has contaminated the pending report. Needless to say, there were demands for my removal from the panel, and the letter asserted that my 47... 

At that time (1994-96), I had research support for a project on estrogenic compounds funded by the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) my only official contact with the association was Ann Mason, Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs (Chlorine Chemistry Council, CMA), who asked for a yearly report. My opinions on the endocrine disruptor hypothesis have been based on analysis of scientific publications and have been consistent prior to, during, and after the research (not personal) support from the CMA. 

Ankley GT, Johnson RD, Toth G, Folmar LC, Detenbeck NE, Bradbury SP. 1997. Development of a research strategy for assessing the ecological risk of endocrine disruptors. Rev Toxicol 1 71-106. 

H.A. Tilson, Developmental neurotoxicity of endocrine disruptors and pesticides. Identification of important gaps and research needs. Environ. Health Perspect. 106 807, 1998. 

Kavlock RJ, Daston GP, De Rosa C, Fenner-Crisp P, Gray LE, Kaattari S, Lucier G, Luster M, Mae MJ, Maczka C, Miller R, Moore J, Rolland R, Scott G, Sheehan DM, Sinks T, Tilson HA. 1996. Research needs for the risk assessment of health and environmental effects of endocrine disruptors a report of the USEPA-sponsored workshop. Environ Health Perspect 104(Suppl 4) 715-740. 

Accepting this statement and sensational reports by the mass media, the Japan Environmental Protection Agency (JEPA) published Strategic Programs on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors in 1998 (SPEED 98) , presented JEPA s basic policy on this subject, initiated concrete countermeasures and listed about 70 substances, including SDs and STs, that are suspected of being endocrine disrupters (EDs) in a review of the literature [3]. Thereafter, researchers affiliated with the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) investigated certain kinds of containers made of PS, and it was clarified that... 

From an analysis of the published financial research on the chemical industry, the sustainability issues of concern in the mainstream investment world revolve first around exposure to hot-button issues such as asbestos and genetic modification. There are some indications that this concern may extend to issues that have not yet fully blossomed, such as endocrine disruptors. There is also lingering concern about the potential for European Union rules that, if adopted, would essentially shift the burden of proof from showing that a chemical caused harm to having to demonstrate the safety of a number of chemicals in current use. Among those analyzing the sustainability of the chemical industry, the primary task appears to be to evaluate the companies ability to deal with complex issues of safety, emission reductions, community relations, and so on. 

BDE-47 is one of the main PBDE congers found in both environmental samples and human tissue, and is undergoing considerable research. It is biologically persistent, and has a high bioaccumulation potential. It is under investigation as an endocrine disruptor and studies for human health concerns are on going. 

Endocrine disruption is a newly discovered mode of action and has encouraged a great deal of research. Compared to some of the other mechanisms described in this chapter, endocrine disruption is more subtle with alterations in reproductive physiology and morphology often being the effects, instead of death. Because of the hormone-like activity, these compounds can have identifiable effects at very low concentrations. It is not yet clear what the overall importance of endocrine disruptors are in creating environmental impacts compared to other modes of action. 

Endocrine disruption by a variety of materials has a number of implications. There is more research that addresses endocrine disruption in the mechanisms section of the book. One of the problems in estimating the impacts of endocrine disruptors is assigning causality in field research, an issue explored in other sections of the text. 

Other possible prenatal factors are neurotoxins Although there has been too little research examining schizophrenia as a possible outcome of fetal lead exposure, it has been proposed that fetal blood levels of lead greater than 15 units (micrograms per deciliter) may double the risk of childhood or adult schizophrenia spectrum disorder.39Another important possibility is that prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors, such as bis-phenol-A (a polymer environmental pollutant present in many plastic consumer products) can be involved in the etiology of schizophrenia.40 Past research has indeed demonstrated endocrine and neuroendocrine abnormalities in schizophrenics.41... 

The surface energy of a substrate may be increased by oxygen plasma treatment to introduce polar functionaUties. Alternatively, the surface energy of the ink may be decreased by the addition of surfactants. Hov rever, surfactants are a nuisance in many electrochemical systems. They aggregate in solution, adsorb at interfaces, and inhibit some electron transfer reactions. Indeed, the presence of surfactants in many commercial inks is a serious problem that is often overlooked by academic researchers. For biomedical appUcations, it should also be noted that some surfactants are endocrine disruptors, and therefore are not approved by the U.S. 

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