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Evidence suggests that environmental exposure to some anthropogenic chemicals may result in disruption of endocrine systems in human and wildlife populations. A number of the classes of chemicals suspected of causing endocrine disruption fall within the purview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) mandates to protect both public health and the environment. Although there is a wealth of information regarding endocrine disruptors, many critical scientific uncertainties still remain.
In 1996, EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) identified endocrine disruption as one of its top six research priorities and developed a risk-based research approach to address some of these uncertainties. ORD’s research program is based on a peer-reviewed Research Plan published in 1998 (www.epa.gov/ORD/WebPubs/final) and has three long-term goals:
- Providing a better understanding of the science underlying the effects, exposure, assessment, and risk management of endocrine disruptors. Research in this area includes determining dose-response relationships, the effects of exposure to multiple endocrine disruptors, major sources of exposure, and approaches for managing risks.
- Determining the extent of the impact of endocrine disruptors on humans, wildlife, and the environment.
Research includes determining: what effects are occurring in human and wildlife populations, the chemical
classes of greatest concern, the ambient levels of exposure, and how unreasonable risks can be mitigated.
- Supporting EPA’s screening and testing program. ORD is developing needed computational tools as well as
in vitro and in vivo assays in support of the implementation of a screening and testing program for endocrine
disruptors, required by the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act.
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