Endocrine disrupters

Danish males, particularly young men, have some of the poorest-quality sperm in the industrialised world.

Denmark is also experiencing an increased frequency of hormone-dependent cancer forms such as breast, prostate and testis cancer, and of malformed sex organs among boys. In recent years, an earlier onset of puberty has been observed among some girls.

Disruption of development and reproduction has been found in wild animals - for instance, feminisation of external genitalia and decreased fertility among mammals and birds. It is believed that these disruptions are caused by environmental contaminants with endocrine-disrupting effect.

Meeting the need for knowledge
At the National Food Institute, we are investigating endocrine-disrupting effects in both cell cultures and large animal studies. 

A battery of in vitro bioassays and (Q)SAR methods are used for screening of new chemicals and for investigating the chemicals' mechanisms.

Both short-term and long-term reproductive toxicity  studies are performed in rats and a broad range of endpoints is measured in both dams and offspring.

A large part of our research is aimed at investigating the effects of combined exposure to a mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals. It is well known that humans are exposed to a mixture of endocrine disrupting chemicals but risk assessment is currently based on the no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for effects of one chemical at a time.

Of the several thousands of chemicals that surround us, only a few hundred have been evaluated for endocrine-disrupting activity. Some are well-known environmental contaminants (e.g. dioxins and some PCBs) or chemicals from food contact materials (e.g. bisphenol A and some phthalates).

In order to meet the urgent need for more knowledge on the magnitude of the problem and for elucidating the causal connection between chemical exposures and declining human reproductive health, we are participating in several externally funded research projects.