The document discusses endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their effects: - EDCs can have low dose effects and no threshold of exposure, and exposure during fetal and child development windows can cause long-term health impacts. On average, every baby is exposed to over 100 potential EDCs. - The speaker's research has focused on thyroid EDCs and their links to brain development, having published numerous papers and books on the topic. Their work helped establish the Watchfrog organization in 2005. - Studies show that EDCs found in maternal blood are also present in amniotic fluid, where they can alter thyroid hormone signaling, brain gene expression, and behavior in animal models.

1. Raising awareness about the invisible threat of
endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
• EDCs are not like other
chemicals
• Low dose effects, no threshold
• Windows of vulnerability -
fœtus & children
• Developmental origin of adult
disease
• Mixtures: on average every baby
born is exposed to over 100
potential EDCs
• EDCs have been linked by
epidemiology and experiment to
multiple non-infectious diseases
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2. My own focus: Thyroid EDCs & Brain Development
• Since 2001 - asked to represent France on OECD chemical
testing committees
• Co-founded Watchfrog 2005 :CNRS Medal for Innovation 2014
• Published many papers on thyroid disruption and brain
development
• Major review in 2018
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3. My knowledge and concern led to:
• Two books
• Both translated into
French
• (Editions Odile Jacob)
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4. EDCs present in maternal blood are also found in
amniotic fluid and affect thyroid hormone signaling
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A mixture of 15 common chemicals at levels found in human amniotic fluid alter
• Thyroid hormone signaling in an animal model
• Brain gene expression
• Behaviour

5. EU EDC Criteria and Guidance Document
Gaps and uncertainties remain and need to be addressed:
•Need to apply criteria to other endocrine systems,
but…
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