Brussels, Belgium
September 29, 2015
CropLife International issued the following statement challenging the Endocrine Society's views on Diabetes and Obesity risks associated with endocrine disrupting chemicals.
The recent Endocrine Society's statement, organized and produced by a limited group of Society members, disregards the state of the science associated with the effects of chemicals on the endocrine system and makes broad, unsupported claims about the relationship between certain chemicals and disease. Furthermore, the report fails to differentiate between chemicals that are "endocrine-active," meaning they interact with the endocrine system, and those that are "endocrine disruptors," meaning that the levels of exposure associated with that interaction cause scientifically-proven adverse health effects.
The statement incorrectly characterizes as settled the still-unproven hypothesis regarding risks of low levels of exposure to particular chemicals. In doing so, the Society discounts the extensive review by experts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that were unable to substantiate the health significance of the so called low-dose effects, and questioned the validity of the non-monotonic hypothesis.
CropLife International has recently published its Policy Perspective on Endocrine Disruptors. In this publication the industry points to well-conducted epidemiological studies that examine crop protection products and human health, with most focusing on farmers and agricultural workers - the individuals that use these products. The weight of this significant body of scientific literature does not show that crop protection products are associated with human disease - this includes studies on endocrine-related cancers.
The crop protection industry is supporting continued research to advance the scientific understanding of the way chemicals interact with the endocrine system using validated screening tools, tests and methods. Industry has been an active participant in the US EPA program and has contributed, actively to test guideline development with the OECD. Industry has submitted extensive dossiers for evaluation and use by regulators to determine whether chemicals activate the endocrine system and if so, whether they cause adverse health effects due to that interaction. The regulatory authorities only approve pesticides if they meet these stringent safety requirements. Public and environmental safety is a constant priority.
Finally, there should also be broad consensus on critical areas requiring further research, including testing methods. The industry welcomes constructive dialogue to assess any gaps in scientific knowledge and to promote a better understanding of all scientific views on endocrine disruption.
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