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. 1995 Sep;103(Suppl 6):81–85. doi: 10.1289/ehp.95103s681

Pesticides--how research has succeeded and failed to translate science into policy: endocrinological effects on wildlife.

T Colborn 1
PMCID: PMC1518898  PMID: 8549498

Abstract

Toxicological research became institutionalized in the United States in response to society's concern about cancer and acute mortality. Driven by risk assessment, research focused on the need for data development and the standardization of testing for regulatory and management purposes in a reactive mode. Although the research community has provided evidence for over 40 years that a number of pesticides and industrial chemicals have disruptive effects on the endocrine system, little attention was given to the evidence when determining the health hazards of synthetic chemicals because of the fixation on cancer. However, recent findings concerning the effects of a number of widespread chemicals on the reproductive success and fertility of wildlife and humans has led to the call for a proactive approach using investigative research (forensic science). Suggestions are presented to modernize the research agenda of public health institutions to meet society's needs to address the problems of exposure to endocrine, nervous, and immune system disruptors.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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