When Is a Substance Endocrine Active?

Endocrine-active substances (EAS) are materials that negatively affect human hormonal activity. For example, the hormonal system regulates essential bodily functions like metabolism, growth, development, sleep, and mood. If these functions are disturbed, significant health problems can arise.

Scientists are currently arguing about when an EAS is present and which criteria characterize a material as an EAS. In any case, the EU regulations on biocides and pesticides demand a clear definition. That’s why the EU Commission wants to create clarity as soon as possible and initiated an online consultation as early as September 2014. The results of the consultation were presented at a conference in June of this year. The individual sessions can be downloaded here.

Institutions like the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the European Food Safety Authority are looking for an approach to risk evaluation – an evaluation that considers not only the danger of a substance but also the probability of an exposure to it. The recommendation of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment can be downloaded here.

Many nongovernmental organizations, like CHEMTrust do not consider such an approach adequate. The want to use the danger that a substance poses in itself in the environment as an evaluation criterion.

If you want your company to comply with EU regulations in all cases and ensure legal compliance for all your products, we are happy to provide support in consultations and actions. Please contact us at reach@kft.de.