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Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

In Chemicals & pollution action

What are Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)?

Man-made chemicals have become part of everyday life. It is clear that some of these chemical pollutants can affect the endocrine (hormonal) system, and certain of these endocrine disruptors may also interfere with the developmental processes of humans and wildlife species.

An Endocrine disruptor is an exogenous substance or mixture that alters function(s) of the endocrine system and consequently causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub) populations. (IPCS, 2002)

potential endocrine disruptor is an exogenous substance or mixture that possesses properties that might be expected to lead to endocrine disruption in an intact organism, or its progeny, or (sub) populations. (IPCS, 2002)

Overview and background

Following international recommendations in 1997 by the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety and the Environment Leaders of the Eight regarding the issue of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), World Health Organization (WHO), through the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), a joint programme of WHO, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), developed in 2002 a report entitled Global Assessment of the State-of-the-Science of Endocrine Disruptors. The report concluded that understanding of the effects of EDCs on wildlife and humans was incomplete and that strengthened international collaborative efforts in a number of areas were of high priority.

The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was established by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in 2006, with the overall objective to achieve the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that minimize significant adverse effects on human health and the environment.

SAICM recognizes that risk reduction measures need to be improved to prevent the adverse effects of chemicals on the health of children, pregnant women, fertile populations, the elderly, the poor, workers and other vulnerable groups and susceptible environments. It states that one measure to safeguard the health of women and children is the minimization of chemical exposures before conception and through gestation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.

SAICM also specifies that groups of chemicals that might be prioritized for assessment and related studies, such as for the development and use of safe and effective alternatives, include chemicals that adversely affect, inter alia, the reproductive, endocrine, immune or nervous systems. A resolution to include EDCs as an emerging issue under SAICM was adopted in 2012 by the International Conference on Chemicals management at its third session (ICCM3). The Conference considered that information dissemination and awareness-raising on endocrine-disrupting chemicals were particularly relevant and that improving the availability of and access to information on such chemicals was a priority.

In 2013, UNEP and WHO released the Summary for Decision-Makers, together with the main document, 2012 Report on the State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, presenting information and key concerns for policy-makers on endocrine disruptors as part of the ongoing collaboration between WHO and UNEP to address concerns about the potential adverse health effects of chemicals on humans and wildlife.  The report identifies concerns, including evidence in humans, laboratory animals, and wildlife that exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals can result in adverse effects and highlighted that an important focus should be on reducing exposure.

In 2015, ICCM4 invited UNEP and WHO to address the needs identified by developing countries and countries with economies in transition by generating and disseminating information on endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

In response to its commitment to the ICCM Resolutions on EDCs, in 2016, UNEP commissioned the International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP) to develop a set of Three Overview Reports on EDCs in close collaboration with the UNEP Advisory Group on EDCs. The reports focus on a review of existing initiatives to identify EDCs and on existing scientific knowledge of the life cycles, environmental exposure, effects, legislation, and measures and gaps regarding EDCs and potential EDCs (including information from developing and transition countries).

More recently, in March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) Resolution 5/7 on the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste, urged Member States and requested UNEP to work on various related issues, including to update the 2012 Report on State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.

UNEP is currently collaborating with WHO and other relevant stakeholders to update the information included in the 2012 Report on State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals.

Resources

Reports

Global assessment on the state of the science of endocrine disruptors - International Programme on Chemical Safety, 2002

State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – UNEP and WHO, 2012

State of the science of Endocrine disrupting chemicals - Summary for decision-makers - UNEP and WHO, 2012 (also available in Chinese, French and Spanish)

Overview Report I: Worldwide initiatives to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and potential EDCs - UNEP, 2017

Overview Report II: An overview of current scientific knowledge on the life cycles, environmental exposures, and environmental effects of select endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and potential EDCs - UNEP, 2017

Chemical Factsheets as of July 2017

Overview Report III: Existing national, regional and global regulatory frameworks addressing Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) - UNEP, 2017

Factsheets - UNEP, 2022 

Endocrine disrupting chemicals
Bisphenol A
Phthalates

Infographics and Brochure

Things we buy - Thing we grow - Places we work and live - Things we make - UNEP, 2017

EDCs - Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals - UNEP, 2017

Video


ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDCs) - KEY CONCERNS - ADVISORY GROUP

In Chemicals & pollution action