Environmental oestrogens--present understanding

Three years ago it was hypothesized that the reported adverse changes in male reproductive health could be explained by exposure to compounds with oestrogenic (or other hormone disruptive) activity. Although this issue has been highly publicized, there has been little progress towards a realistic assessment of whether environmental oestrogens pose a health risk to humans. This article attempts to give a brief overview of the current status of knowledge concerning environmental oestrogens and highlights some of the difficulties associated with risk assessment. Compounds within several major groups of chemicals, including organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, phenolic compounds and phthalate esters, have been identified as being weakly oestrogenic by in vitro and in vivo screening methods. Many of these compounds are widespread and persistent in the environment. They are likely to be present in the food chain, drinking water, plastics, household products and food packaging, although which is the most important route of human exposure is unclear. In addition to exposure to man-made chemicals, the consumption of plant-derived oestrogens in foodstuffs poses a potential risk to human health as phytoestrogens are more potent oestrogens and their intake by some infants is likely to be considerable.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Danschutter, F. Braet, E. Van Gyseghem, S. Hachimi-Idrissi, B. Van Bruwaene, P. Moloney-Harmon, and L. Huyghens Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and Deep Venous Thrombosis in Children: A Clinical and Experimental Analysis Pediatrics, March 1, 2007; 119(3): e742 - e753. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Robertson, L. O'Donnell, E. R. Simpson, and M. E. E. Jones The Phenotype of the Aromatase Knockout Mouse Reveals Dietary Phytoestrogens Impact Significantly on Testis Function Endocrinology, August 1, 2002; 143(8): 2913 - 2921. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Nejaty, M. Lacey, and S. A. Whitehead Differing Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals on Basal and FSH-Stimulated Progesterone Production in Rat Granulosa-Luteal Cells Experimental Biology and Medicine, June 1, 2001; 226(6): 570 - 576. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. J. P. Ebling, A. N. Brooks, A. S. Cronin, H. Ford, and J. B. Kerr Estrogenic Induction of Spermatogenesis in the Hypogonadal Mouse Endocrinology, August 1, 2000; 141(8): 2861 - 2869. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. J. Schrader and G. M. Cooke Examination of Selected Food Additives and Organochlorine Food Contaminants for Androgenic Activity in Vitro Toxicol. Sci., February 1, 2000; 53(2): 278 - 288. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-K. Chang and G. J. Zylstra Role of Quinolinate Phosphoribosyl Transferase in Degradation of Phthalate by Burkholderia cepacia DBO1 J. Bacteriol., May 15, 1999; 181(10): 3069 - 3075. [Abstract] [Full Text]