Government view of endocrine disruption in wildlife

2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 2563-2574 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gies
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Main Element ◽  
Public Concern ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Chemicals Policy ◽  
German Federal Environmental

Like hardly any other issue in ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption has given rise to public concern. Reproductive, behavioral, and immunological effects in wildlife were publicly not only understood as possible threats to wildlife populations, but also as early warning signals that human health could be at risk. Above all, the public has been concerned about negative outcomes in reproductive health, and effects like feminization in fish were regarded as evidence for the biological plausibility of the hypothesis that environmental levels of hormonally active chemicals are high enough to affect human reproductive health. Public concern has been mirrored by several parliamentary and governmental decisions emphasizing the need for extensive research and rapid measures to reduce the risk associated with endocrine-disrupting substances. Endocrine disruption in wildlife is clearly a priority issue. At least in densely populated areas like Europe, symptoms of endocrine disruption in wildlife cannot only be detected in areas with abnormally high levels of pollution, but have also occurred in main river systems, estuaries, and even in the open sea. Imposex in mollusks and feminization in fish that were clearly related to disturbances in the hormonal system of these organisms by exogenous substances have been used as markers in monitoring programs. Though symptoms of endocrine disruption can be clearly identified, it is much more difficult to link these outcomes to causative chemicals or mixtures of substances. Natural and pharmaceutical hormones, phytoestrogens, pesticides, and industrial chemicals may all play a role to a different degree depending on the site under study. This means that several different risk-reduction strategies have to be applied, including bans of substances, use restrictions, and installation and optimization of sewage treatment works embedded in a strategy for the overall reduction of chemical input into the environment. It should be noted that, in addition to national and international regulatory actions taken by state authorities, a considerable reduction of the environmental input could be achieved in several countries by voluntary actions taken by industry. Regulatory bodies are still facing major problems in the field of risk assessment and risk reduction. Association between effects and causative agents or mixtures are in many cases weak. Important tools for risk assessment such as dose-response relationships or the existence of thresholds are not yet agreed on. These uncertainties are the reason that many national governments and the European Commission have identified precaution as the main element in chemicals policy for the management of endocrine disruptors. This paper is based on documents of the German Federal Environmental Agency, but solely represents the view of the author from a regulatory perspective and emphasizes the wildlife aspects of endocrine disruption.

scholarly journals Rethinking the Role of Information in Chemicals Policy: Implications for TSCA and REACH

elni Review ◽  
2005 ◽  
pp. 22-37
Author(s):  
Lars Koch ◽  
Nicholas A. Ashford
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
European Union ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sequential Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Chemicals Policy

This article analyzes the role of different kinds of information for minimizing or eliminating the risks due to the production, use, and disposal of chemical substances and contrasts it with present and planned (informational) regulation in the United States and the European Union, respectively. Some commentators who are disillusioned with regulatory approaches have argued that informational tools should supplant mandatory regulatory measures unflatteringly described as “command and control.” Critics of this reformist view are concerned with the lack of technology-innovation forcing that results from informational policies alone. We argue that informational tools can be made more technology inducing – and thus more oriented towards environmental innovations – than they are under current practices, with or without complementary regulatory mechanisms, although a combination of approaches may yield the best results. The conventional approach to chemicals policy envisions a sequential process that includes three steps of (1) producing or collecting risk-relevant information, (2) performing a risk assessment or characterization, followed by (3) risk management practices, often driven by regulation. We argue that such a sequential process is too static, or linear, and spends too many resources on searching for, or generating information about present hazards, in comparison to searching for, and generating information related to safer alternatives which include input substitution, final product reformulation, and/or process changes. These pollution prevention or cleaner technology approaches are generally acknowledged to be superior to pollution control. We argue that the production of risk information necessary for risk assessment, on the one hand, and the search for safer alternatives on the other hand, should be approached simultaneously in two parallel quests. Overcoming deficits in hazard-related information and knowledge about risk reduction alternatives must take place in a more synchronized manner than is currently being practiced. This parallel approach blurs the alleged bright line between risk assessment and risk management, but reflects more closely how regulatory agencies actually approach the regulation of chemicals. These theoretical considerations are interpreted in the context of existing and planned informational tools in the United States and the European Union, respectively. The current political debate in the European Union concerned with reforming chemicals policy and implementing the REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) system is focused on improving the production and assessment of risk information with regard to existing chemicals, although it also contains some interesting risk management elements. To some extent, REACH mirrors the approach taken in the U.S. under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976. TSCA turned out not to be effectively implemented and provides lessons that should be relevant to REACH. In this context, we discuss the opportunities and limits of existing and planned informational tools for achieving risk reduction.

Uncertainties Associated with Assessing the Risk of an Endocrine Active Substance in the Canadian Environment

2001 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Servos ◽  
Don Bennie ◽  
Kent Burnison ◽  
Philippa Cureton ◽  
Nicol Davidson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Endocrine Disruption ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Weight Of Evidence ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Multigenerational Effects

Abstract A number of biological responses and multigenerational effects, mediated through the disruption of endocrine systems, have been observed in biota exposed to relatively low concentrations of environmental contaminants. These types of responses need to be considered within a weight of evidence approach in our risk assessment and risk management frameworks. However, including endocrine responses in an environmental risk assessment introduces a number of uncertainties that must be considered. A risk assessment of nonylphenol and nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NP/NPE) is used as a case study to demonstrate the sources and magnitude of some of the uncertainties associated with using endocrine disruption as an assessment endpoint. Even with this relatively well studied group of substances, there are substantial knowledge gaps which contribute to the overall uncertainties, limiting the interpretation within the risk assessment. The uncertainty of extrapolating from in vitro or biochemical responses to higher levels of organization or across species is not well understood. The endocrine system is very complex and chemicals can interact or interfere with the normal function of endocrine systems in a number of ways (e.g., receptors, hormones) which may or may not result in an adverse responses in the whole organism. Using endocrine responses can lead to different conclusions than traditional endpoints due to a variety of factors, such as differences in relative potencies of chemicals for specific endpoints (e.g., receptor binding versus chronic toxicity). The uncertainties can also be considerably larger and the desirability of using endocrine endpoints should be carefully evaluated. Endocrine disruption is a mode of action and not a functional endpoint and this needs to be considered carefully in the problem formulation stage and the interpretation of the weight of evidence.

scholarly journals A predictive in vitro risk assessment platform for pro-arrhythmic toxicity using human 3D cardiac microtissues

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celinda M. Kofron ◽  
Tae Yun Kim ◽  
Fabiola Munarin ◽  
Arvin H. Soepriatna ◽  
Rajeev J. Kant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Human Action ◽  
Environmental Toxicants ◽  
Pharmaceutical Drugs ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Endocrine Disrupting Chemical

AbstractCardiotoxicity of pharmaceutical drugs, industrial chemicals, and environmental toxicants can be severe, even life threatening, which necessitates a thorough evaluation of the human response to chemical compounds. Predicting risks for arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death accurately is critical for defining safety profiles. Currently available approaches have limitations including a focus on single select ion channels, the use of non-human species in vitro and in vivo, and limited direct physiological translation. We have advanced the robustness and reproducibility of in vitro platforms for assessing pro-arrhythmic cardiotoxicity using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and human cardiac fibroblasts in 3-dimensional microtissues. Using automated algorithms and statistical analyses of eight comprehensive evaluation metrics of cardiac action potentials, we demonstrate that tissue-engineered human cardiac microtissues respond appropriately to physiological stimuli and effectively differentiate between high-risk and low-risk compounds exhibiting blockade of the hERG channel (E4031 and ranolazine, respectively). Further, we show that the environmental endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) causes acute and sensitive disruption of human action potentials in the nanomolar range. Thus, this novel human 3D in vitro pro-arrhythmic risk assessment platform addresses critical needs in cardiotoxicity testing for both environmental and pharmaceutical compounds and can be leveraged to establish safe human exposure levels.

Flood risk assessment for Ecuador 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melisa Mena-Benavides ◽  
Manuel Urrutia ◽  
Konstantin Scheffczyk ◽  
Angel A. Valdiviezo-Ajila ◽  
Jhoyzett Mendoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Flood Frequency ◽  
Flood Risk Assessment ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Synthetic Aperture Radar Data ◽  
Ecological Regions

<p>Understanding disaster risk is the first priority for action of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and is the essential information needed to guide disaster governance and achieve disaster risk reduction. Flooding is a natural hazard that causes the highest number of affected people due to disasters. In Ecuador from 1970 to 2019 flooding caused the highest amount of loss and damage to housing, and from 2016 to 2019 there were 1263 flood events reported. However, the differentiated impacts in flood exposed areas and what can be done to reduce risk and its impacts are still not well understood. In this research, we explored the different dimensions of flood risk, namely hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, and investigated the drivers of risk in different ecological regions of Ecuador. The assessment was conducted at the parish level, the smallest administrative scale, for three selected provinces of Bolivar, Los Ríos, and Napo, representing not only the country’s three main ecological regions but also commonly affected territories due to flooding. Using an automated flood detection procedure based on Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar data, flood hazard information was derived from flood frequency and flood depth for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. The drivers of exposure and vulnerability were derived from scientific literature and further evaluated and complemented during a participatory workshop with over 50 local experts from the different regions. Centered on this exercise, an indicator library was created to inform the data selection from various sources and provides the basis for deriving a spatially explicit flood risk assessment using an indicator-based approach. Impact data are available to validate the risk assessment at the parish level and with this reveal key drivers of flood risk in different ecological regions of Ecuador. This information will provide the basis to derive targeted measures for disaster risk reduction.</p>

scholarly journals Machine Safety: Risk Assessment, Risk Reduction

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Ladd
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Equipment Design ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
End User ◽  
Safety Risk ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
The Us ◽  
Machine Safety

Worker safety is an issue of major concern worldwide. Evidence to this fact is noted with recent efforts to harmonize US machine safety standards with that of the European Machinery Directive. Changes to the US standards have a dramatic affect on new equipment design. Additionally, older machinery that is still in use must now be upgraded to meet these new requirements. In other words, the end user must now follow the same standards as new equipment manufacturers. Paper published with permission.

scholarly journals Environmental risk assessment associated with the occurrence of emerging organic micropollutants in Sewage Treatment Plants

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Βασιλική Θωμαϊδη
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Organic Micropollutants ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plants ◽  
Emerging Organic Micropollutants

Ο όρος ‘Αναδυόμενοι Οργανικοί Μικρορρύποι’ (ΑΟΜ) περιλαμβάνει ένα ευρύ φάσμα χημικών ενώσεων, οι οποίες δεν καλύπτονται από την υπάρχουσα νομοθεσία και μεταξύ άλλων περιλαμβάνουν φαρμακευτικές ουσίες, ναρκωτικά, ενδοκρινικούς διαταράκτες, υπερφθοριωμένες ενώσεις, βενζοτριαζόλια, βενζοθειαζόλια, συνθετικές γλυκαντικές ύλες και σιλοξάνια. Οι ενώσεις αυτές περιέχονται σε προϊόντα καθημερινής χρήσης και ανιχνεύονται σε αστικά απόβλητα σε όλο τον κόσμο. Κύριος στόχος της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η ανάπτυξη και η εφαρμογή μίας μεθοδολογίας εκτίμησης περιβαλλοντικού κινδύνου που βασίζεται στα πηλίκα επικινδυνότητας και περιλαμβάνει σε πρώτο στάδιο τον εντοπισμό των πιθανών πλέον επικίνδυνων ΑΟΜ από το σύνολο των ουσιών για τις οποίες υπάρχουν διαθέσιμα δεδομένα και σε δεύτερο στάδιο τη συστηματικότερη εκτίμηση κινδύνου συγκεκριμένων ρύπων, με παράλληλη ποσοτικοποίηση της σχετικής αβεβαιότητας που προκύπτει από τους εν λόγω υπολογισμούς. Οι κατηγορίες των ΑΟΜ που παρουσιάζουν μεγαλύτερη απειλή λόγω τοξικότητας των μεμονωμένων ουσιών ή των μειγμάτων είναι οι ενδοκρινικοί διαταράκτες και τα σιλοξάνια, τόσο στο υδάτινο, όσο και στο χερσαίο περιβάλλον. Το μείγμα των μικρορρύπων φαίνεται ότι αποτελεί σημαντικό οικολογικό κίνδυνο, ακόμα και σε ποτάμια με συντελεστή αραίωσης μεγαλύτερο του 2300. Μεταξύ του συνόλου των ΑΟΜ, η τρικλοζάνη φαίνεται να αποτελεί τον μεγαλύτερο κίνδυνο για τους υδρόβιους και χερσαίους οργανισμούς.

scholarly journals Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Products: The Devil in Disguise or a Considerable Risk Reduction?

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk W Lachenmeier ◽  
Peter Anderson ◽  
Jürgen Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Tobacco Smoke ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Toxic Effects ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Toxic Compounds ◽  
Risk Of Exposure ◽  
The Devil

Background: Heat-not-burn (HNB) tobacco products are not burnt but instead are inserted into a tobacco-heating system, which heats the tobacco at temperatures below that required to initiate combustion. This mechanism potentially results in significantly reduced concentrations of heat-generated toxicants in the inhalable aerosol.Method: The margin of exposure (MOE) approach was applied for quantitative risk assessment. The MOE is defined as the ratio between the toxicological threshold and the estimated human intake of the same compound. The higher the MOE, the lower the risk of a compound.Findings: The MOEs were increased by factors of 3 to 415 for the most toxic compounds in tobacco smoke, comparing use of HNB with smoking conventional tobacco products. The combined MOE for all compounds was increased 23-fold, excluding nicotine, or 10-fold including nicotine. Thus, the overall risk for cumulative toxic effects was markedly lower for HNB products.Conclusions: HNB tobacco reduced the risk of exposure to 9 out of the 20 most toxic compounds in tobacco beyond an MOE threshold of 10,000. While our results show that use of HNB products leads to a considerable risk reduction compared to conventional tobacco, the products cannot be considered completely “risk-free” due to risk of exposure to the remaining toxicants with MOE below the threshold.

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