Author Description

In recent years, it has become evident that many chemicals present in the environment can mimic, antagonize or alter the physiological actions of endogenous hormones. These compounds have been termed endocrine disrupters (EDs) and defined as exogenous substances that cause adverse health effects in an intact organism or in its progeny, consequent to changes in endocrine function [1]. EDs, even when present in minute amounts (part per trillion), could interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, metabolism, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones responsible for homeostasis maintenance, reproduction, and developmental processes [2]. Currently more than 100 chemicals have been identified as EDs. Within this heterogeneous group of molecules we find: (a) synthetic chemicals used in industry, agriculture, and consumer products; (b) synthetic chemicals used as pharmaceutical drugs; and (c) natural chemicals found in human and animal food. About half of these compounds are substituted with halogen groups, mostly chlorine and bromine, and include dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, methoxychlor, dieldrin, and hexachlorocyclohexane. EDs have long environmental half-life resulting in a continue increase of their global concentration in the environment and can be detected and may concentrate at great distances from where they are produced, used or released. EDs have very low water solubility and extremely high lipid solubility, leading to their bioaccumulation in adipose tissue. Exposure to EDs can occur from a number of different sources: humans and animals can be exposed involuntarily by drinking contaminated polluted water, breathing contaminated air, ingesting food, contacting contaminated soil or even in the workplace. Although endocrine disruption has only received high-profile attention for just over a decade [2], the phenomenon does have a longer historical background. In the early 1900s, pig farmers in the USA complained o