Human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: assessing the total estrogenic xenobiotic burden

A relationship has been hypothesized between adverse effects on human and wildlife reproductive health and a number of chemical substances capable of altering hormonal homeostasis. A testing system to screen for endocrine activities and the development of appropriate biomarkers of cumulative exposure are required. This article reports the work of our group in the following areas: (i) the identification of chemical agents with estrogenic hormonal activity, (ii) existing evidence on forms and sources of human exposure, and (iii) developing a methodology to assess the total estrogenic burden, defined as the estrogenic activity in a bioassay of human samples from which ovarian estrogens have been previously eliminated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.