As the election of Donald Trump promises a bonfire of environmental regulation in the United States, Europe is poised to take a significant and possibly decisive step on how to regulate endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These chemicals are everywhere — in food, personal-care products, electronics and furniture — and are widely detected in human blood and urine at levels known to affect health. Yet action on them lags behind controls on hazards such as carcinogens. Early next month, European Union member states will take an important step when they review criteria proposed by the European Commission for identifying and regulating EDCs.<\/p>\n
Many pesticides contaminate foods and disrupt hormonal functions that are critical for brain development. Once EDC criteria are formalized, removal of these pesticides could help to prevent autism and loss of cognition, which have been linked to exposures in utero. The EDC criteria will also set scientific precedents for other national and global chemical policies.<\/p>\n