Endocrine active substances and the need to improve environmental
protection: An environmentalist's perspective
G. Lyons
World Wildlife Fund European Program, 17 The Avenues,
Norwich NR2 3PH, UK
Abstract: This paper reviews the existing concerns and presents
conclusions and recommendations for action.
The first section outlines an environmentalist's perspective and predicts
that endocrine active substances (EASs) pose a high risk for wildlife
populations. The second section explains that risk assessment, as currently
practiced for individual chemicals, does not adequately protect the
environment, and suggests several improvements that should be made.
However, it is argued that the properties of endocrine disruption lead
to increased uncertainty in the risk assessment, such that countries
wishing to achieve a high level of protection would be justified in
implementing precautionary controls.
The third section outlines some conclusions and additionally provides
an appraisal of the responses of governments and industry. Furthermore,
several recommendations are made, particularly the imperative for research
funding to be substantially increased and guaranteed for many years
to come. Also highlighted is the need to hasten the development of screens
and tests for ecotoxicity, and for governments to commit to a comprehensive
sorting, screening, and toxicity testing program for all chemicals to
which significant exposure occurs.
*Report from a SCOPE/IUPAC project: Implication of
Endocrine Active Substances for Human and Wildlife (J. Miyamoto and
J.Burger, editors). Other reports are published in this issue,
pp. 1617-2615.
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