title: Peer-reviewed and unbiased research, rather than 'sound science', should be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
abstract: Evidence increasingly confirms that synthetic chemicals disrupt the endocrine system and contribute to disease and disability across the lifespan. Despite a United Nations Environment Programme/WHO report affirmed by over 100 countries at the Fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management, 'manufactured doubt' continues to be cast as a cloud over rigorous, peer-reviewed and independently funded scientific data. This study describes the sources of doubt and their social costs, and suggested courses of action by policymakers to prevent disease and disability. The problem is largely based on the available data, which are all too limited. Rigorous testing programmes should not simply focus on oestrogen, androgen and thyroid. Tests should have proper statistical power. 'Good laboratory practice' (GLP) hardly represents a proper or even gold standard for laboratory studies of endocrine disruption. Studies should be evaluated with regard to the contamination of negative controls, responsiveness to positive controls and dissection techniques. Flaws in many GLP studies have been identified, yet regulatory agencies rely on these flawed studies. Peer-reviewed and unbiased research, rather than 'sound science', should be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA Department of Environmental Medicine and Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA NYU Wagner School of Public Service, New York, New York, USA Department of Nutrition, Food & Public Health, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York, New York, USA NYU Global Institute of Public Health, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trasande
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Laura N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Vandenberg
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Endocrinology, CHU Liège and Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, Universite de Liege, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bourguignon
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: John Peterson
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Inserm, CNRS and Univ. Grenoble Alpes joint research center (IAB), Team of Environmental Epidemiology, Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Remy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slama
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vom Saal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Robert Thomas
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Zoeller
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D002617:Chemical Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000187:drug effects*; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors
keywords: ENDOCRINOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH; Environmental epidemiology; TOXICOLOGY