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DTU contributes to new master lists of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the EU

Food, fish and agriculture Food safety Health and diseases

The relevant authorities in five European countries have published master lists of identified and potential of endocrine disruptors. Researchers from the National Food Institute have played a significant role in documenting the chemicals’ adverse effects.

Internationally there is political consensus that there is a need to minimize exposure to endocrine disrupting substances. However, in order to prioritize efforts and increase chemical safety, it is important to know exactly which substances have an endocrine disrupting effect on humans and the environment.

Decision-makers worldwide have been given an important new tool in the form of a website that contains lists of endocrine disrupting chemicals. It contains information about substances that have already been identified as endocrine disruptors at EU level – and about substances, which are currently under evaluation for endocrine disrupting properties.

The website went live on 2 June 2020 and is a joint initiative supported by researchers and authorities in Denmark, Belgium, France, Holland and Sweden.

From Denmark, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has added nine chemical substances to the list based on work conducted by the Danish Centre on Endocrine Disrupters of which the National Food Institute was project manager. During this work, researchers from the National Food Institute and the University of Southern Denmark found that there is solid scientific evidence that these substances are endocrine disruptors.

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For more information about the new list, read the Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s news item: New webpage directs attention to endocrine disrupting chemicals within the EU. You can also find the list by visiting the website: Endocrine Disruptor Lists.

The National Food Institute’s work on documenting different chemical substances’ endocrine disrupting effects have been described in a news item from the institute: Nine ”new” endocrine disrupting chemicals identified.