TY - JOUR
T1 - Systematic Review Methodologies and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
T2 - Improving Evaluations of the Plastic Monomer Bisphenol A
AU - Vandenberg, Laura N.
AU - Pelch, Katherine E.
N1 - Funding Information:
LNV has received travel reimbursement from Universities, Governments, NGOs and Industry, to speak about endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Her EDC-related work has been supported by US federal agencies, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and NGOs including the Cornell Douglas Foundation, JBF Foundation and the Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition. She is a paid scientific advisor to SUDOC LLC. KEP has received travel reimbursement from Universities, Governments, and NGOs to speak about endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Her EDC-related work has been supported by US federal agencies, and NGOs including the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Toxic Free Future, and Safer States. No grants were used to support the writing of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in plastics, personal care products, household items, and other consumer goods. Risk assessments are intended to characterize a chemical’s hazards, identify the doses at which adverse outcomes are observed, quantify exposure levels, and then compare these doses to determine the likelihood of risk in a given population. There are many problems with risk assessments for EDCs, allowing people to be exposed to levels that are later associated with serious health outcomes in epidemiology studies. Objective: In this review, we examine issues that affect the evaluation of EDCs in risk assessments (e.g., use of insensitive rodent strains and absence of disease-oriented outcomes in hazard assessments; inadequate exposure assessments). We then review one well-studied chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA; CAS #80-05-7) an EDC found in plastics, food packaging, and other consumer products. More than one hundred epidemiology studies suggest associations between BPA exposures and adverse health outcomes in environmentally exposed human populations. Results: We present support for the use of systematic review methodologies in the evaluation of BPA and other EDCs. Systematic reviews would allow studies to be evaluated for their reliability and risk of bias. They would also allow all data to be used in risk assessments, which is a requirement for some regulatory agencies. Conclusion: Systematic review methodologies can be used to improve evaluations of BPA and other EDCs. Their use could help to restore faith in risk assessments and ensure that all data are utilized in decision-making. Regulatory agencies are urged to conduct transparent, well-documented and proper systematic reviews for BPA and other EDCs.
AB - Background: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in plastics, personal care products, household items, and other consumer goods. Risk assessments are intended to characterize a chemical’s hazards, identify the doses at which adverse outcomes are observed, quantify exposure levels, and then compare these doses to determine the likelihood of risk in a given population. There are many problems with risk assessments for EDCs, allowing people to be exposed to levels that are later associated with serious health outcomes in epidemiology studies. Objective: In this review, we examine issues that affect the evaluation of EDCs in risk assessments (e.g., use of insensitive rodent strains and absence of disease-oriented outcomes in hazard assessments; inadequate exposure assessments). We then review one well-studied chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA; CAS #80-05-7) an EDC found in plastics, food packaging, and other consumer products. More than one hundred epidemiology studies suggest associations between BPA exposures and adverse health outcomes in environmentally exposed human populations. Results: We present support for the use of systematic review methodologies in the evaluation of BPA and other EDCs. Systematic reviews would allow studies to be evaluated for their reliability and risk of bias. They would also allow all data to be used in risk assessments, which is a requirement for some regulatory agencies. Conclusion: Systematic review methodologies can be used to improve evaluations of BPA and other EDCs. Their use could help to restore faith in risk assessments and ensure that all data are utilized in decision-making. Regulatory agencies are urged to conduct transparent, well-documented and proper systematic reviews for BPA and other EDCs.
KW - Key characteristic
KW - Klimisch score
KW - Low dose effect
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Uterotrophic
KW - Xenoestrogen
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85136909830&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2174/1871530321666211005163614
DO - 10.2174/1871530321666211005163614
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34610783
AN - SCOPUS:85136909830
SN - 2212-3873
VL - 22
SP - 748
EP - 764
JO - Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets
JF - Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets
IS - 7
ER -