Research progress on disease burdens of major environmental endocrine disruptors

Globally, the burdens of disease attributable to environmental factors are high. The studies conducted in European Union and the United States mainly focus on environmental factors such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphates (OPEs), phthalates (PAEs), bisphenol A (BPA), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), lead, cadmium, and mercury, and health outcomes such as mental disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, testicular cancer, cryptorchidism, infertility, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, low testosterone, childhood overweight, adulthood obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Currently, the burdens of disease attributable to PAEs, lead, cadmium, mercury have been assessed in studies in China. The roles of PBDEs, OPEs, BPA, and DDT in disease burden deserve more concern, aiming to improve the assessment of the burdens of disease associated with environmental endocrine disruptors in China.