A n Interim Report from the Study Group on Health Effects of Endocrine
Disrupt ing Chemicals
I.

Introduction

In recent years, there has been an emerging concern that certain types ofchemicals, including organochloric pesticides, plasticizers in plastic containers,
and surfactants in detergents, may disrupt endocrine functions and have adverse
effects on human health (the so-called endocrine disruptor issue). This issue
includes many problems to be resolved scientifically, and there is a wide variety ofindicated chemicals and health effects. Therefore, discussions are being conducteddomestically and internationally on the relationship between these chemicals andhealth effects.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare is promoting research and studies on thisissue so that it may handle new types of problems with chemicals if they occur.
This work is part of varying activities which the Ministry has conducted against
chemical issues such as public pollution, in view of the protection of public health,including the enactment and amendment of “the Law concerning the Examinationand Regulation of Manufacture etc. of Chemicals,” “the Food Sanitation Law,” and“the Water Works Law.”
A task group of the 1996 Health Sciences Research Program collected information
on health effects of substances with estrogenic activities in “A Study on the Crisis
Management of Chemicals (chief researcher: Dr. Morio Sedaka, Professor, Facultyof Pharmaceutical Science, Teikyo University).” This study was part of “the reviewof approaches for crisis management in the chemical field.” The group focused on aseries of chemicals which are expected to have estrogenic activities, including
insecticides such as DDT and other pesticides whose use was discontinued. Then,the group discussed necessary approaches for the target chemicals based on
biological activities, in collaboration with the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD). The group compiled the study into areport titled “the Endocrine Issue ” and indicated that this issue should be
discussed continuously as it is of great importance. The report explains that
pesticides need strict reproductive/developmental toxicity studies and twogeneration reproduction studies to determine whether they have estrogenic
1

activities. The report also describes the possibility that chemicals with estrogenic
activities can not be clarified using conventional testing systems and concepts.
The Ministry has been conducting research and studies in cooperation with theOECD and the U.S. EPA.
For the endocrine disrupting chemical issue, many problems remain to beresolved scientifically. Therefore, we urgently need to tackle these problems (on ahigh-urgency basis) using a tiered program. The problems can be divided into thethree tires: 1) urgent individual problems which are considered to need temporaryrisk management by analyzing available data on effects on the living body andexposure, 2) problems which require urgent measures for necessary research andstudies because of the lack of information on exposure and effects on the livingbody, 3) problems which are expected to be resolved with the promotion of stateof-the-art science, based on the characteristics of the mechanism of effects ofendocrine disruptors.
Under these circumstances, in April 1998, the Ministry of Health and Welfare
established the Study Group on Health Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals(chairperson: Nobuyuki Itoh, President, Nagoya City University) as a private
panel under the Director-General of the Environmental Health Bureau, in order to
identify the nature of these problems and clarify the mechanism of effects ofendocrine disruptors. Since then, sessions have been held fairy regularly. In
addition, the Ministry has been promoting research and studies in collaboration
with related ministries/agencies, laboratories, and academic bodies.
This publication was compiled based on findings and views obtained from
specialized discussions of this Group, and considering the approaches of othercountries. This publication describes our present understanding of endocrine
disruptors and their health effects. It also indicates temporary plans andapproaches of the Japanese government.

2Study Group on Health Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
Member List
Name

Title and Institution

ABE, Kaoru

President, National Cancer Center

AOYAMA, Hiroaki

Chief, Laboratory of Reproductive Toxicology, Toxicology Division I,
Institute of Environmental Toxicology
Chairperson of the Board, Japan Association for Women’s Education

FUJIWARA, Fusako
IGUTI, Taisen
INOUE, Tohru
ITO, Nobuyuki
IWAMOTO, Teruaki

Professor, Department of Biology and Graduate SchoolofIntegrated Science, Yokohama City University
Chairperson, Cellular and Molecular Toxicology Division, Biological
Safety Research Center, National Institute of Health Sciences
President, Nagoya City University

SHISHIBA, Yoshimasa

Professor and Chairman, Department of Urology, St. Marianna
University School of Medicine
Director, Biological Safety Research Center, National Institute ofHealth Sciences
Professor, Department of Urban Environmental Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido university
A Committee Member of the Endocrine Disruptors Working Group,Japan Chemical Industry Association
Professor, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka
University
Assistant Professor, Department of Urology, Teikyo University
School of Medicine
Director, Toranomon Hospital Kajigawa Campas

SUZUKI, Katsushi

Professor, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University

SUZUKI, Tuguyoshi

TERADA, Masaaki

Former Director General, National Institute for Environmental
Studies
Chairman, Yokohama City Board of Education (Former President,Yokohama City University)
Professor Emeritus of Kitasato University
Director, Occupational Health Service Center, Japan Industrial
Safety and Health Association
Professor and Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo
Director, Department of Waste Management Engineering, NationalInstitute of Public HealthDirector, National Cancer Center Research Institute

TERAO, Tadao

Director General, National Institute of Health Sciences

TSUGANE, Shoichiro
WADA, Masae

Chief, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, National Cancer
Center Research Institute East
Vice president, The Housewives’ Federation

YAMAZAKI, Mikio

Professor Emeritus, Chiba University

YASUDA, Mineo

Professor, Hiroshima University School of Medicine

KUROKAWA, Yuji
MAGARA, Yasumoto
MATUO, Masatosi
NISHIHARA, Tsutomu
OSHIO, Shigeru

TAKASUGI, Noboru
TAKATA, Tsutomu
TAKETANI, Yuji
TANAKA, Masaru

Note: Underlined is the chairperson

3Meetings held to date
1stApril 28, 1998 (Tues.)nd2

May 27, 1998 (Wed.)

3rd

July 1, 1998 (Wed.)

th4

September 2, 1998 (Wed.)

5thOctober 16, 1998 (Fri.)

th6

November 9, 1998 (Mon.)

4