HORMONE DISRUPTERS IN HUMANS

A committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands has reported on t he possible impact of substances that affect the human endocrine syste m. The Committee concluded that at present public health is not acutel y threatened. However, the entire population of the Netherlands is exp osed to substances of this kind and effects on reproduction and develo pment are, albeit possibly subtle, biologically plausible. The Committ ee is therefore of the opinion that the possible effect of endocrine d isrupters on health merits serious attention. Because of the lack of d ata the Committee recommends further research to substantiate the natu re and magnitude of the health risk of human exposure to endocrine dis rupters. Since the Netherlands does not occupy an unusual position in terms of exposure to endocrine disrupters and sensitivity to them, con siderations of efficiency mean that internationally coordinated resear ch is preferable.