Environmental fate and metabolism: Issues and recommendations

This main topic of the project and symposium includes the issue of releases of endocrine
active substances (EASs) and their monitoring in the environment, food, and feed in
order to provide the full set of criteria relevant for exposure assessment. Much less research
has been devoted to these areas as compared to investigations on the effects. Issues of special
importance regarding exposure to EASs, both from a research and risk management
point of view, predominantly result from the fact that high-potency natural products are released
as well as anthropogenic substances.
In order to provide reliable information for risk assessment and management, substantial
research, methodological improvements, and improvements in data interpretation are
needed regarding the following: releases and technologies for their mitigation; monitoring;
establishment of background levels; transport, partitioning, persistence, degradation, and metabolism
of EASs; dealing with “joint toxicity”; and providing reliable analytical methodology
conforming to the principles of quality assurance.
Phytohormones play a special role in this whole area since they may be used as food amendments.