Policy

RSS HEEDS Policy and Regulations Updates
  • EPA sets new rule for evaluating chemical risks
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a new rule to enhance the process of evaluating the health and environmental risks of chemicals, which will be difficult for future administrations to alter.Britt E. Erickson reports for Chemical & Engineering News.In short:The new rule strengthens the current procedures under the Toxic Substances Control Act for evaluating […]
  • Opinion: Time to tackle the plastic peril — for our health and the planet's future
    As world leaders gather to forge a global plastics treaty, we must confront the undeniable havoc that plastic pollution wreaks on our health and environment, argues Environmental Health Sciences' chief scientist.Pete Myers writes for Reuters. In short: The ubiquity of plastic is contaminating our bodies, contributing to health issues like obesity and reducing fertility. Recent […]
  • Scientists discuss the insidious threat of microplastics at congressional hearing
    At a recent Senate and Assembly environment committee hearing, experts highlighted the extensive spread and health risks of microplastics, urging legislative action to protect the public.Sophie Nieto-Muñoz reports for the New Jersey Monitor.In short:Microplastics are found everywhere, from everyday items to human tissues, indicating the need for more effective waste management policies.Despite widespread recycling claims, […]
  • Understanding the new measures on PFAS in drinking water
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated the removal of certain harmful chemicals from tap water, targeting better public health protections.Josh Ocampo reports for The New York Times.In short:PFAS, enduring chemicals present in various consumer products, have been linked to significant health problems, including cancer and liver damage.The Environmental Protection Agency's new rules mandate near-zero […]
  • EPA takes a major step against PFAS 'forever chemicals'
    The Biden administration has mandated the cleanup of two key PFAS compounds, categorizing them as hazardous under the federal Superfund law. Maxine Joselow and Brady Dennis report for The Washington Post. In short:The EPA's new rule targets perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), designating them as hazardous substances to strengthen cleanup efforts.This designation is […]
  • Ottawa talks aim to forge a global treaty on plastic pollution
    International discussions continue in Canada, aiming to finalize a global treaty to combat plastic pollution by year's end.Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters.In short:A potential global treaty on plastic pollution is being negotiated, with the aim to regulate the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.Contentious debates focus on production limits and transparency requirements among […]
  • New regulations aim to address the persistence of 'forever chemicals'
    Efforts intensify to curtail the environmental and health hazards of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, with new federal regulations targeting the chemicals' prevalence in drinking water.Stephanie Hanes reports for The Christian Science Monitor.In short:Vermont has pioneered strict regulations on PFAS following local contamination issues, setting a model for other states.New EPA standards […]
  • Opinion: Regulating 'forever chemicals' remains insufficient in safeguarding our health
    Despite recent actions by the EPA to regulate some PFAS chemicals in drinking water, much more is necessary to monitor and limit all PFAS, the author argues.Kathleen Blackburn writes for The New York Times.In short:The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently mandated the reduction of six types of PFAS chemicals in drinking water, a small fraction […]
  • Regulating plastics is essential for protecting children’s brains, scientists say
    A new briefing paper from Project TENDR highlights the threat plastic poses to children’s neurological development and the need for a strong global plastics treaty to address that harm.In short:Babies born today are contaminated with plastic before leaving the womb, with exposure taking place through the placenta, as well as breastmilk and infant formula. The […]
  • Environmental regulation of 'forever chemicals' starts, but challenges persist
    New U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines mark a turning point in regulating harmful PFAS chemicals in U.S. water systems.Sabrina Tavernise hosts the episode for The New York Times.In short:PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are found in numerous consumer products beyond water, posing health risks.New EPA regulations target only six types of PFAS, despite thousands […]

This section highlights major agencies that are responsible for regulations and policies related to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and new policy issues relating to EDCs, including issues that require immediate attention. The top section covers U.S.-focused organizations, followed by Europe, then International policy resources. At the bottom of the page is a list of comments that HEEDS has officially submitted to various policy-related organizations.

See this link for updated policy news from HEEDS.

United States

For a handy cheat-sheet of which chemicals are regulated by which U.S. organizations, see The Big Chart of Federal Chemical Evaluations & Assessments by Rachel Shaffer and accompanying blog.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA regulates environmental chemicals and develops testing strategies for EDCs via the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). The EDSP is mandated to use validated methods for the screening and testing chemicals to identify potential endocrine disruptors, determine adverse effects, dose-response, assess risk and ultimately manage risk under current laws. These methods or assays allow EPA to identify and characterize the endocrine activity (specifically, estrogen, androgen and thyroid) of pesticides, commercial chemicals, and environmental contaminants. The EPA’s endocrine disruption site has information on endocrine disruptors and endocrine disruption, along with information on regulatory resources, and the progress of the chemical screening and testing process. The CompTox Chemical Dashboard is an online resource for toxicology information on 875,000 chemicals, including EDCs.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Hosts the Endocrine Disruptor Knowledge Base database. The FDA is better known for not regulating EDCs than for regulating them. It considers BPA to be “safe.”

U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

NIEHS is a major funder of EDC research. It is also a good source of information on EDCs and funding opportunities. See the NIEHS Strategic Plan. NIEHS funds numerous centers and programs that work on EDC-related issues, including:

NIEHS also hosts the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), which is composed of representatives from 17 U.S. federal regulatory and research agencies. These regulatory and research agencies require, use, generate, or disseminate toxicological and safety testing information.

Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE)

Located at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), PRHE’s mission is to create a healthier environment for human reproduction and development through advancing scientific inquiry, clinical care and health policies that prevent exposures to harmful chemicals in our environment. PRHE works at the intersection of science, medicine, policy and community. They conduct targeted research, translate scientific findings in order to expand clinical practice, and advance science-based policy solutions.

PRHE applies respected scientific expertise to answer complex environmental health-related questions and to develop science-based policy strategies. PRHE activities include:

      • Creating a science-based foundation for policy by evaluating, synthesizing, translating and interpreting scientific findings for relevant audiences, including policy makers, the public, patients and health affected and community groups.
      • Creating policy options and tools to interpret scientific findings for use in policy and decision making and in optimizing prevention and interventions.
      • Delivering critical scientific information to decision makers by establishing a broad base of scientists, community groups and health care providers and connecting this community to decision makers at the state and federal level.
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U.S. State Regulations

Safer States
A network of environmental health coalitions and organizations in states around the U.S. that tracks state-level chemical policies and bills.

For other organizations who work on EDCs, see the Organizations page.

Europe

Chemicals Strategy

In October 2020, the European Commission passed a new strategy on chemicals. For information and reactions, see:

EDC Resolution

The EU Parliament adopted a resolution on a framework for EDCs in April, 2019.

The Council of the European Union adopted conclusions on chemicals which offer political guidance on the development of a sustainable EU chemicals policy strategy in June 2019. See the Press Release and the full text.

REACH

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on June 1, 2007. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) implements REACH, the EU’s groundbreaking legislation on chemicals.

REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry. It also promotes alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce the number of tests on animals. 

In principle, REACH applies to all chemical substances; not only those used in industrial processes but also in our day-to-day lives, for example in cleaning products, paints as well as in articles such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances. Therefore, the regulation has an impact on most companies across the EU.

REACH places the burden of proof on companies. To comply with the regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate to ECHA how the substance can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users.

If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can restrict the use of substances in different ways. In the long run, the most hazardous substances should be substituted with less dangerous ones.

EU Commission Resources:

EU Eurion Cluster Horizon 2020 Projects on EDCs

The EU is funding a number of research projects on endocrine disrupting chemicals as part of Horizon 2020, including the Eurion Cluster (@EurionCluster), European Cluster to Improve Identification of Endocrine Disruptors. The cluster includes eight projects on new testing and screening methods to identify EDCs: ATHENA, EDCMET, ENDpoiNTs, ERGO, FREIA, GOLIATH, OBERON, and SCREENED. These projects are described in a series of articles published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences; see links below.

ATHENA: Assays for the identification of Thyroid Hormone axis – disrupting chemicals: Elaborating Novel Assessment strategies
Website: ATHENA Project
Twitter: @ATHENAprojectEU
See: Removing Critical Gaps in Chemical Test Methods by Developing New Assays for the Identification of Thyroid Hormone System-Disrupting Chemicals—The ATHENA Project. Kortenkamp et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3123.

EDCMET: Metabolic effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: novel testing METhods and adverse outcome pathways
Website: EDCMET Project
Twitter: @edcmet_eu
See: The EDCMET Project: Metabolic Effects of Endocrine Disruptors. Küblbeck et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3021.

ENDpoiNTs: Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors in the Context of Developmental NeuroToxicity
Website: ENDpoiNTs Project
See: The ENDpoiNTs Project: Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors Linked to Developmental Neurotoxicity. Lupu et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3978.

ERGO: Breaking down the wall between human health and environmental testing of endocrine disrupters: EndocRine Guideline Optimisation
Website: ERGO Project
Twitter: @ERGO_EU
See: ERGO: Breaking Down the Wall between Human Health and Environmental Testing of Endocrine Disrupters. Holbech et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 2954.

FREIA: Female Reproductive toxicity of EDCs: a human evidence-based screening and Identification Approach
Website: FREIA Project
Twitter: @freiaprojectEU
See: Safeguarding Female Reproductive Health Against Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals—The FREIA Project. van Duursen et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3215.

GOLIATH: Generation Of NoveL, Integrated and Internationally Harmonised Approaches for Testing Metabolism Disrupting Compounds
Website: GOLIATH Project
Twitter: @beating_goliath
See: The GOLIATH Project: Towards an Internationally Harmonised Approach for Testing Metabolism Disrupting Compounds. Legler et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3480.

OBERON: An integrative strategy of testing systems for identification of Endocrine Disrupters related to metabolic disorders
Website: OBERON Project
Twitter: @OBERON_4EU
See: Integrative Strategy of Testing Systems for Identification of Endocrine Disruptors Inducing Metabolic Disorders—An Introduction to the OBERON Project. Aodouze et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 2988.

SCREENED: Screening for endocrine disruptors; Development of three-dimensional (3D) cell-based in vitro tests to better characterize the effects of endocrine disruptors on thyroid functions
Website: SCREENED Project
Twitter: @ScreenedH
See: SCREENED: A Multistage Model of Thyroid Gland Function for Screening Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in a Biologically Sex-Specific Manner. Moroni et al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 3648.

Additional EU projects:

The European Human Biomonitoring Initiative
A joint initiative to coordinate and advance human biomonitoring in Europe. HBM4EU is generating evidence of the actual exposure of citizens to chemicals and the possible health effects in order to support policy making.
Website: European Human Biomonitoring Initiative
Twitter: @HBM4EU

EU-ToxRisk: An Integrated European ‘Flagship’ Programme Driving Mechanism-based Toxicity Testing and Risk Assessment for the 21st century
Website: EU-ToxRisk
Twitter: @EU_ToxRisk

PROTECTED: Protection Against Endocrine Disruptors
Website: PROTECTED
Twitter: @PROTECTED_ITN

EU List of Endocrine Disruptors
This website, Endocrine Disruptor Lists, makes public the current status of substances identified as endocrine disruptors, or under evaluation for endocrine disrupting properties within the EU.

Danish Centre on Endocrine Disrupters (CeHoS)
CeHoS’s mission is to build and gather new scientific knowledge on endocrine disruptors with the focus on providing information requested for the preventive work of the regulatory authorities. See their Report on Interpretation of knowledge on endocrine disrupting substances (EDs) – what is the risk? (2019)

EDC-MixRisk
This EU project focused on the effects of mixtures of endocrine disruptive chemicals on children. See their final policy brief (2019).

EuroMix
The EuroMix project aims to deliver a mixture test strategy and test instruments using novel techniques, resulting in data needed for refining future risk assessment of mixtures relevant to national food safety authorities, public health institutes, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), industry, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders.

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EFSA is a European agency funded by the European Union that operates independently of the European legislative and executive institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament) and EU Member States.

It was set up in 2002 following a series of food crises in the late 1990s to be a source of scientific advice and communication on risks associated with the food chain. The agency was legally established by the EU under the General Food Law – Regulation 178/2002.

The General Food Law created a European food safety system in which responsibility for risk assessment (science) and for risk management (policy) are kept separate. EFSA is responsible for the former area, and also has a duty to communicate its scientific findings to the public. 

See EFSA’s overview of endocrine active substances.

International

United Nations

The United Nations Environment Program (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

The International Panel on Chemical Pollution (IPCP) released overview reports on EDCs that it had prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) in 2018. These include reports on:

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

World Health Organization (WHO)

The International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods, ICATM

ICATM is an international cooperation that includes governmental organizations from around the world to promote enhanced international cooperation and coordination on the scientific development, validation and regulatory use of alternative approaches.

Comments

HEEDS has just begun to submit comments to regulatory agencies on topics related to endocrine disruption. Here are some of the comments we have submitted.

Comment from Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies (HEEDS), Posted by the Food and Drug Administration on Mar 31, 2021, on a Citizen Petition from Environmental Defense Fund.