Hormone disruptors in ecosystems

In recent years effects on reproduction have been identified in a large number of animal species and these effects have been attributed to the influence on hormonal systems of certain substances that are present in the environment. The supposition has been expressed in various publications that such substances also have an impact on human beings. In 1997 the Health Council of the Netherlands reached the conclusion that this supposition has not been verified for the Dutch population. In this advisory report, the Health Council — acting upon the request of the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) — describes the current level of knowledge on the effects of hormone disruptors on animal reproduction in Dutch ecosystems.