European Environment Agency report reviews the impacts of endocrine disruptors

Last month, the European Environment Agency published a noteworthy report on endocrine disruptors (EDs)– the “Weybridge+15” report. This document is named after the first ‘European Workshop on the Impact of Endocrine Disrupters on Human Health and Wildlife’, which was held in 1996 in Weybridge, United Kingdom. The Weybridge+15 Report is an updated compilation of technical papers and discussions from the expert workshop (“Weybridge+10”) held in Helsinki in November 2006.

The purpose of the 2006 ‘Weybridge+10’ workshop was to evaluate the results of ED research since 1996, particularly that which was funded by the EU, and ascertain future research goals. It was to provide a forum for informal international discussion on research and testing of EDs, summarise research progress made since 1996, assess the implications for risk assessment and policy, identify knowledge gaps, and lastly to define future research priorities.

The Weybridge+15 report highlights that research indicates that chemically induced endocrine disruption is a real phenomenon which is likely to be already affecting human as well as wildlife health around the globe. It notes that much better understanding of the health risks posed by environmental contaminants is necessary to protect ourselves and wildlife from any harm caused by these chemicals.

The full report can be found here.