EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL-POLLUTANTS ON REPRODUCTION, EUROCONFERENCE-HALLE, 11-13 APRIL 1997

The aim of the conference was to bring together scientific experts wor king in different disciplines but with common interests in the effects of environmental pollutants on reproduction in men, wildlife and dome stic animals. Most of the pollutants, although differing considerably in chemical structure, exert endocrine effects so that they are often referred to as xenoestrogens or endocrine disrupters. During the confe rence, the following topics were presented and discussed: 1. Status of the accumulation of xenoestrogens in the environment. 2. Effects on r eproduction in the male and female, including sex differentiation. 3. Adequate assays for measurement of oestrogenicity of chemical pollutan ts. This paper is a summary of the topics discussed and not an extensi ve overview of all the data presently gathered on xenoestrogens. Despi te the enormous amount of data available final conclusions cannot be d rawn regarding the potential health hazards originating from these com pounds, first, because in vitro experiments appear to be poor models f or the in vivo effects; and second, because the results from in vivo e xperiments and epidemiological studies are often conflicting. At the c onference a network for scientists interested in studying the impact o f xenoestrogens on reproduction in humans and animals was initiated. T he address of the co-ordinator is given at the end of this report.