Enables researchers to assess the effects of endocrine
disrupters as well as comply with new environmental
regulations

Endocrine disrupters are chemicals--both man-made and
natural--that interfere with the body's endocrine system,
potentially resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive,
neurological, and immune effects. In recent years, a number of
regulatory authorities around the world have drafted or enacted
legislation that requires the detection and assessment of the
effects of endocrine disrupters on both humans and wildlife. In
response, this book provides comprehensive, up-to-date information
on the latest tested and proven methods used to detect and assess
the environmental hazards posed by endocrine-disrupting
chemicals.

Endocrine Disrupters is divided into chapters covering
each major taxon as well as chapters dedicated to hazard assessment
and regulation. The book covers testing methods for all the
vertebrate groups and several invertebrate phyla, including:

* Crustaceans and mollusks

* Insects

* Fish

* Amphibians and reptiles

* Birds and mammals

Moreover, the book emphasizes practical, ethical testing methods
that combine sensitivity, efficiency, statistical power, and
reasonable cost.

Each chapter is written by one or more international experts in
ecotoxicology, offering readers step-by-step guidance for
implementing each method based on the latest research and the
authors' firsthand laboratory experience. Furthermore, all the
chapters have been subjected to a rigorous peer review and edited
in light of the reviewers' comments. References at the end of each
chapter guide readers to the literature in the field.

Endocrine Disrupters is recommended for scientists who
need to test chemicals for possible endocrine-disrupting
properties. It is also recommended for regulatory authorities who
need to decide whether particular chemicals can be safely
marketed.

PETER MATTHIESSEN, PhD, is an aquatic ecotoxicologist who
works as an independent consultant. Specializing in the study of
endocrine disrupters, he has conducted extensive research into how
sewage effluents cause feminization in wild male fish as well as
how tributyltin-based antifoulants cause masculinization in wild
female mollusks. Professor Matthiessen is a member of the UK
Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Co-chair of the OECD
Validation Management Group for Ecotoxicity Tests. He has
contributed to the development of standardized ecotoxicity assays
with sensitivity for endocrine disrupters as well as written
guidance for the interpretation of the resulting data.

Enables researchers to assess the effects of endocrine disrupters as well as comply with new environmental regulations

Endocrine disrupters are chemicals—both man-made and natural—that interfere with the body's endocrine system, potentially resulting in adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects. In recent years, a number of regulatory authorities around the world have drafted or enacted legislation that requires the detection and assessment of the effects of endocrine disrupters on both humans and wildlife. In response, this book provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on the latest tested and proven methods used to detect and assess the environmental hazards posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Endocrine Disrupters is divided into chapters covering each major taxon as well as chapters dedicated to hazard assessment and regulation. The book covers testing methods for all the vertebrate groups and several invertebrate phyla, including:

• Crustaceans and mollusks
• Insects
• Fish
• Amphibians and reptiles
• Birds and mammals

Moreover, the book emphasizes practical, ethical testing methods that combine sensitivity, efficiency, statistical power, and reasonable cost.

Each chapter is written by one or more international experts in ecotoxicology, offering readers step-by-step guidance for implementing each method based on the latest research and the authors' firsthand laboratory experience. Furthermore, all the chapters have been subjected to a rigorous peer review and edited in light of the reviewers' comments. References at the end of each chapter guide readers to the literature in the field.

Endocrine Disrupters is recommended for scientists who need to test chemicals for possible endocrine-disrupting properties. It is also recommended for regulatory authorities who need to decide whether particular chemicals can be safely marketed.

Preface ix

Contributors xi

1 Ecotoxicity Test Methods for Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Introduction 1
Peter Matthiessen

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Regulatory Concerns 2

1.3 Invertebrates 2

1.4 Vertebrates 3

1.5 Testing Schemes for EDCs 5

Reference 6

2 Endocrine Disruption inWildlife: Background, Effects, and Implications 7
Dick Vethaak and Juliette Legler

2.1 Background to Endocrine Disruption 8

2.2 Effects of EDCs on Wildlife 19

2.3 Weight of Evidence and Ecological Significance of ED Effects 32

2.4 Implications for Effect Assessment and Toxicity Testing 36

2.5 Need for More Field Studies and an Integrated Approach 38

2.6 Concluding Points 39

References 40

3 The Regulatory Need for Tests to Detect EDCs and Assess Their Hazards toWildlife 59
Hans-Christian Stolzenberg, Tobias Frische, Vicki L. Dellarco, Gary Timm, Anne Gourmelon, Taisen Iguchi, Flemming Ingerslev, and Mike Roberts

3.1 Emerging Concerns and Policy Responses: Focusing on EDCs as a Large Pseudo-Uniform Group of Substances 60

3.2 General Approaches in Substance-Related Regulatory Frameworks (EU) 80

3.3 How to Make EDC Definitions Operational for Substance-Related Regulatory Work 87

3.4 Future Perspectives 91

3.5 Conclusions 92

References 93

4 Techniques for Measuring Endocrine Disruption in Insects 100
Lennart Weltje

4.1 Introduction 100

4.2 Methods 105

4.3 Discussion 108

4.4 Conclusion 110

4.5 Acknowledgments 110

References 110

5 Crustaceans 116
Magnus Breitholtz

5.1 Introduction 116

5.2 Background to Crustacean Endocrinology 118

5.3 State of the Art: What Do We Know About Endocrine Disruption in Crustaceans? 121

5.4 Available Subchronic/Chronic Standard Test Protocols 128

5.5 Complementary Tools for Identification of Endocrine Disruption 129

5.6 Summary and Conclusions 132

References 134

6 Endocrine Disruption in Molluscs: Processes and Testing 143
Patricia D. McClellan-Green

6.1 Background and Introduction 143

6.2 What Constitutes the Endocrine System in Molluscs? 145

6.3 End Points and Biomarkers of Endocrine Disruption 154

6.4 Current Test Methods Using Molluscs 164

6.5 Proposed Test Methods 167

6.6 Conclusions 171

References 172

7 Using Fish to Detect Endocrine Disrupters and Assess Their Potential Environmental Hazards 185
Peter Matthiessen

7.1 Introduction 185

7.2 International Efforts to Standardize Fish-Based Methods for Screening and Testing Endocrine-Disrupting

7.3 Fish-Based Screens Developed by OECD for Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals 189

7.4 Progress with Developing Fish Partial Life Cycle Tests for Endocrine Disrupters 194

7.5 Prospects for the Standardization of Fish Full Li…