Abstract
Endocrine disruption has been gathering increasing attention in the past 25 years as a possible new threat for health and safety. Exposure to endocrine disruptor has been progressively linked with a growing number of increasing disease in the human population. The mechanics through which endocrine disruptors act are not yet completely clear, however a number of pathways have been identified. A key concern is the cumulative and synergic effects that endocrine disruptors could have when mixed in consumer products. We reviewed the available literature to identify known or potential endocrine disruptors, as well as endocrine active substances that could contribute to cumulative effects, in topical consumer products. The number of endocrine actives used daily in consumer products is staggering and even though most if not all are used in concentrations that are considered to be safe, we believe that the possibility of combined effects in mixtures and non-monotonic dose/response is enough to require further precautions. A combined in vitro approach based on existing, validated OECD test methods is suggested to screen consumer products and mixtures for potential interaction with estrogen and androgen hormone receptors, in order to identify products that could have cumulative effects or support their safety concerning direct endocrine disruption capabilities.
Highlights
Any mixture including two or more substances with potential endocrine activity should be regarded as a potential endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC) and tested as such, since the non-linear, non-monotonic interaction of two or more ingredients can result in endocrine disruption even if the concentration of each of them has been proven safe individually [17]
The focus of the present article consists in reviewing the existing literature to provide an overview of EDCs and their effects, focusing on providing an overview of potential EDCs and endocrine active substances used in topical use consumer products such as cosmetics or medical devices, as well as the possible solutions to reduce the related health risks
Many in vitro methods were proposed for the detection of endocrine activity and specific effects on endocrine pathways but only some of these methods are included into a validated regulatory framework and there is not a stand-alone screening method
Summary
The concept of endocrine disruption has been the subject of research and papers since the early ‘90s [1,2,3,4], there is still little clarity about what an endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC) is and how to apply the EDC concept in formulating regulatory procedures to improve safety and human health. Any mixture including two or more substances with potential endocrine activity should be regarded as a potential EDC and tested as such, since the non-linear, non-monotonic interaction of two or more ingredients can result in endocrine disruption even if the concentration of each of them has been proven safe individually [17]. Another concern is related to the accumulation of potential endocrine disruptors caused by their persistence, be it in the exposed organism or in the environment. The focus of the present article consists in reviewing the existing literature to provide an overview of EDCs and their effects, focusing on providing an overview of potential EDCs and endocrine active substances used in topical use consumer products such as cosmetics or medical devices, as well as the possible solutions to reduce the related health risks
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