Vol.
25 No. 4
July - August 2003
Endocrine
Disruptors in the Environment (IUPAC Technical Report)
by
J. Lintelmann, A. Katayama, N. Kurihara, L. Shore, and A.
Wenzel
Pure
and Applied Chemistry,
Vol. 75, No. 5, pp. 631–681 (2003)
Many
chemical substances of natural or anthropogenic origin are
suspected or known to be endocrine disruptors, which can influence
the endocrine system of life. This observation has led to
an increased interest on the part of the public and the media,
as well as to a steep rise in research activities within the
scientific community. New papers and results are presented
so quickly that it is impossible to give a complete review
of this emerging research field. Therefore, this paper tries
to provide insight into several topics that encompass the
great scope of endocrine disruptors in the environment.
The
paper explains some parts of the endocrine systems of mammalians
and non-mammalians in order to provide general biochemical
and biological background information. Important mechanisms
of endocrine disruption, such as interactions with hormone
receptors, are described. Strategies for testing anthropogenic
chemicals on various organisms are critically reviewed with
respect to their problems and gaps. The main emphasis of the
paper involves chemical substances that are suspected or known
to be endocrine disruptors. Physicochemical data, such as
water solubility, as well as information about their use and/or
function, are reviewed and compared to provide a clearer picture
of their behavior in the environment. The paper also describes
the main routes of exposure for most chemicals and provides
data related to concentrations in the environment (soil/sediment,
water).
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