「環境ホルモン物質」の低用量影響を考える

Low-dose effects of endocrine disruptors has raised much concern of both experts and general public. It is partly because the word “ Kankyo hormone”, used popularly in Japan as a synonym for endocrine disruptors without any scientific definition, misled people. However so called low-dose effects of the endocrine disruptors presented a new challenge to the basic notion of the threshold in toxicology, and the risk assessment of chemicals. Although hormonally active substances can potentially cause some effects at low doses, it should be addressed whether the effects are adverse to health and/or developmentally irreversible. Recently, a number of literatures reported that perinatal exposure to bisphenol A can cause neurobehavioral effects to rats and mice at low doses, which were not considered before. In this review, the author introduces new findings on low-dose effects from a research project supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, together with the outputs from international activities related to this subject.

四国医学雑誌 : http://www.tokushima-u.ac.jp/med/research/shikoku_acta_medica.html