Endocrine Disruptors

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous substances that alter endocrine system function(s) and consequently cause adverse health effects in an intact organism or its progeny. The endocrine system is important for a wide range of biological processes, from normal cell signaling to the growth and normal development of the organism. EDCs can act by a variety of mechanisms, ranging from altered steroid synthesis or binding to an altered maintenance of pregnancy or lactation. A variety of methods are currently available to elucidate the target sites for the effects of EDCs on biological systems. The US EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) consists of several optimized and validated cell- and animal-based, mammalian and non-mammalian assays to test for the potential endocrine activity of EDCs.