In a new report published May 2, 2014 the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) urges the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise its draft state-of-the-science (SOTS) evaluation on non-monotonic dose-responses and low dose effects. The SOTS report argued that EPA’s testing strategies adequately account for non-monotonic dose-responses and that testing strategies are protective against potential harm caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Rather than evaluating whether EDCs could cause harm, the NAS report focused on EPA’s procedures and rationale used in the draft SOTS report. NAS came to the conclusion that the EPA report lacks consistency and transparency. According to NAS, it fails to provide evidence that the EPA’s testing strategies would detect harmful effects of EDCs and recommends revising the report. NAS suggests describing clearly how conclusions are reached and developing a single plan to evaluate the thyroid, androgen and estrogen pathway, rather than varying between expert judgment and weight of evidence approaches.

In an article published May 5, 2014 by the news provider BNA Bloomberg, Laura Vandenberg, assistant environmental health professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, U.S., is cited saying that the NAS report mirrored many concerns raised by the Endocrine Society, the professional organization of endocrinologists.

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Pat Rizzuto (May 5, 2014). “EPA hasn’t shown its tests can detect endocrine disruptor harm, critique cays.” BNA Blomberg

National Research Council of the National Academies (May 2, 2014). “Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s State-of-the-Science evaluation of nonmonotonic dose-response relationships as they apply to endocrine disruptors.

FPF article “EPA publishes draft report on non-monotonic dose-response, low dose effects”

FPF article “ACC: no need to change toxicity testing

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