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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Elaboration of a list of substances of interest as regards to a potential endocrine activity and prioritisation strategy for assessment

subject

description

Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals (EDCs) are substances that alter function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently cause adverse health effects. The endocrine system consists of many cells and tissues that interact with each other and the rest of the body by means ofhormones. This system is responsible for controlling a large number of processes in the body from gamete formation, to conception and early developmental processes such as organogenesis, and to most tissue and organ functions throughout life. EDCs interfere withendocrine function by many ways and, in doing so, lead to adverse effects on the health of humans and/or wildlife. Some of the observed health effects associated with EDCs include, but are not limited to cancer, reproductive, developmental, immunological, neurological,metabolic disorders and obesity. More background information on endocrine disruption and the endocrine system is available in the report “State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – 2012” from UNEP/WHO, 2012.The second national strategy on EDCs (SNPE 2), launched by the French Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition and the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health in the perspective of the fourth national Health-Environment 2020 plan, aims, over the 2019-2022 period, at reducing the impact of EDCs on the population and on the environment. This second strategy is based on the first French Strategy on EDCs (SNPE 1) published in 2014. The SNPE 2 strategy will develop for a further 4-year period with three priority areas for action including,as a first priority, “the creation of a list of potential EDCs of interest to be shared among EU member states (MSs) and the European Commission in 2020”.In the frame of the action number 3 of SNPE 2 1 , and for the purpose of managing and informing about the risks linked to EDCs, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) was mandated on 8 October 2019 to identify and prioritize “chemicals that may present Endocrine Disruptor (ED) properties” for building a list that is scientifically robust, resulting from an inventory of published lists at European and international levels. This list aims, firstly, at informing on substances that may have potential endocrine properties regardless of their sectors of use and the sectorial regulations applicable, thus warranting an in depth evaluation of the ED data available.