Endocrine Active Chemicals Issue, 1995 Environmental Conference Proceedings

Vickie L. Tatum

NCASI

Robert P. Fisher

NCASI

The suggestion that the health and reproductive success of both humans and animals are being adversely affected by chemicals that act by interfering with the normal functioning of the endocrine system is receiving increasing attention in both the popular press and scientific literature. The endocrine system controls a wide range of functions and activities via various multi-step processes that offer numerous possibilities for modification by exogenous compounds. Exogenous compounds reported to affect endocrine function include both natural and synthetic substances. Known health effects associated with exposure to endocrine active chemicals are generally confined to high dose accidental and laboratory exposures. The suggestion has also been made that adverse health effects may be attributed to exposures to current environmental background levels of endocrine active compounds, although direct evidence for this is lacking. There are limited reports of apparent endocrine system influences in fish exposed to pulp mill effluents. Currently, research is ongoing in multiple settings in an effort to identify and characterize potential endocrine system influences of mill effluents on fish. Initial efforts indicate that reported indicators of effects are not associated exclusively with bleached kraft mill effluents and that the reproductive success of exposed organisms may not be adversely affected.