A REVIEW ON POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS ON VARIOUS ORGANISMS

DDT which belongs to the category of endocrine disruptor chemicals is a persistent organochlorine and can bioaccumulate in the food chain leading to a drastic population decline in birds. The effect of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and scientific basis behind endocrine disruption has been a matter of discussion in various environmental issues- related programs of WHO and UNEP. It clearly emphasizes that EDC can alter the health of human beings and also wildlife and it will be a major threat shortly too. Endocrine disorders have also been detected in a variety of wild vertebrate species. Endocrine disruption in fish is happened to be one of the well-flourished areas in research. Studies have shown that high concentrations of vitellogenin were found in male fish caged in wastewater treatment plants in the 1990s. Most of the studies on endocrine-disrupting chemicals were focused on vertebrates, the action and mechanism of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on invertebrates is still an unexplored area except a few major works. The effect of xenoestrogens on organisms is of great concern to scientists all over the world. However, it is quite sad that work done in this field in our country is meagre when compared to other countries. This calls for proper and well-documented research in this field.