The Impact of Endocrine Disruption: A Consensus Statement on the State of the Science

intense scientific work has improved our understanding of the impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on human and wildlife health, such that in 2012, the UNEP and WHO, in collaboration with international experts, have produced an updated document on EDCs, that includes scientific information on human and wildlife impacts and lists key concerns for decision makers and others concerned about the future of human and wildlife health. The basis for these key concerns is described in the State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-2012 and includes extensive references to the science behind the concerns. A shorter summary, primarily for decision makers, elabo rates on the key concerns listed below and and also on suggested considerations related to EDCs (State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals-2012: Summary for Decision-Makers; Human and wildlife health depends on the ability to reproduce and • develop normally. This is not possible without a healthy endocrine system. Three strands of evidence fuel concerns over endocrine disruptors: • The high incidence and the increasing trends of many endocrine-ǹ related disorders in humans; Observations of endocrine-related effects in wildlife populations; ǹ The identification of chemicals with endocrine disrupting proper-ǹ ties linked to disease outcomes in laboratory studies. Many endocrine-related diseases and disorders are on the rise. • Large proportions (up to 40%) of young men in some countries ǹ have low semen quality, which reduces their ability to father children. The incidence of genital malformations, such as non-descending ǹ testes (cryptorchidisms) and penile malformations (hypospadias), in baby boys has increased over time or levelled off at unfavourably high rates. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm ǹ birth and low birth weight, has increased in many countries. Neurobehavioural disorders associated with thyroid disruption ǹ affect a high proportion of children in some countries and have increased over past decades. Global rates of endocrine-related cancers (breast, endometrial, ǹ ovarian, prostate, testicular and thyroid) have been increasing over the past 40–50 years. There is a trend towards earlier onset of breast development in ǹ young girls in all countries where this has been studied. This is a risk factor for breast cancer. The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has dramatically ǹ increased worldwide over the last 40 years. WHO estimates that 1.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese and that the number with type 2 diabetes increased from 153 million to 347 million between …