"This report presents the results of a project “State of the Art Assessment of Endocrine Disrupters” which was commissioned through competitive tendering by the European Commission, DG Environment.
The report summarises advances in the state of the science since 2002 and maps out ways of dealing with endocrine disrupters in important pieces of EU chemicals regulation, such as e.g. the Plant Protection Product Regulation, PPPR (1107/2009), the new Biocide Regulation and the chemicals regulation, REACH (1907/2006).
During the last two decades evidence of increasing trends of many endocrine-related disorders in humans has strengthened. Although the correct description of disease time trends is often complicated by a lack of uniform diagnostic criteria, unfavourable disease trends have become apparent where these difficulties could be overcome. There are negative impacts on the ability to reproduce and develop properly. There is good evidence that wildlife populations have been affected, with sometimes widespread effects.
Multiple causes underlie these trends, and evidence is strengthening that chemical exposures are involved. Nevertheless, there are significant difficulties in identifying specific chemicals as contributing to risks. Especially where chemicals do not stay for long periods in tissues after exposures have occurred, it is impossible to detect associations when exposure measurements cannot cover periods of heightened sensitivity.
Extensive laboratory studies support the notion that chemical exposures contribute to endocrine disorders in humans and wildlife. Exposure during critical periods of development can cause irreversible and delayed effects that do not become evident until later in life. It is these toxicological properties that justify consideration of endocrine disrupting chemicals as substances of concern equivalent to carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxicants, as well as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals. The definition for endocrine disrupting chemicals developed by WHO/IPCS is generally accepted as being applicable to both human health and ecotoxicological hazard and risk assessment.
Internationally agreed and validated test methods (OECD) for the identification of endocrine disrupters are generally regarded as useful, but it is acknowledged that they capture only a limited range of the known spectrum of endocrine disrupting effects. Considerable gaps exist for the identification of chemicals that can affect wildlife taxa. It is thus far not possible to infer the possibility of adverse effects from positive results in relatively cost-effective screening level assays."

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