New dangers identified: endocrine disruptors
What is an endocrine disruptor?
"An endocrine disruptor is a substance or mixture of substances which alters the functions of the endocrine system and thereby causes adverse effects in an intact organism, in its offspring or in (sub)populations".
Regulations for endocrine disruptors
Regarding health, the government is launching the fourth national health-environment plan (PNSE4) to reduce the impact of environmental factors on health. More specifically for ED, France wants to be a European leader in terms of control and regulation.
The government’s lines of action are summarized in the National Strategy on Endocrine Disruptors 2 (SNPE2).
This strategy identifies 3 main axes:
Protect the population, train, inform
Preventing environmental contamination
Improve knowledge
In 2020, a list of endocrine disruptors is published by ANSES, and divided into three categories: suspected, alleged or proven endocrine disruptors.
Currently, three regulations legislate on ED:
- REACh regulation
- the Biocide Regulation (BPR)
- the plant protection products (PPP) regulation
The REACh regulation has established a list of substances of very high concern that will be analyzed to try to determine if they are indeed endocrine disruptors.
The Biocide Regulation (BPR) prohibits the sale to the general public of products with endocrine disrupting properties. If a biocidal product contains a substance considered as an ED, it will not obtain its marketing authorization (MA) and cannot be marketed.
The regulation of plant protection products, known as PPP, requires the analysis of the ED aspect of plant protection active substances.
In short: endocrine disruptors (ED) are defined by the WHO, and France wishes to position itself as a leader in this field.
In this case, why is the topic of ED so problematic?
This subject is difficult because there is currently no test to ensure that a suspected molecule is or is not a ED. The existing tests are very long, require expert interpretations and are very expensive.
Therefore, the lists of suspected PE molecules evolve as knowledge is acquired.
SALVECO's committed policy on endocrine disruptors
SALVECO’s strategy is always in line with its DNA and values, and our laboratories are once again at the forefront of healthy alternatives.
For example, thanks to the work carried out on our formulations, we had worked far ahead on applications for simplified biocidal authorizations (AMMS) in anticipation of these concerns. This approach enabled us to comply with the requirements of the precautionary principle.
The 4 strategic areas below demonstrate the uncompromising expertise of SALVECO laboratories:
I. Analytical approach
In order to implement a strategy to avoid endocrine disruptors, it is necessary to be able to prove the ED effect of a substance or a mixture. To demonstrate the safety of a substance or a mixture, it is necessary to be able to prove its safety according to these 4 axes:
- estrogenic
- thyroid
- androgenic
- steroidogenesis
In order to guarantee the best safety to its users, SALVECO participates in the development of analytical methods to identify the presence or absence of suspected or proven ED substances. Whether these approaches are based on the use of software or on laboratory tests. We have already performed preliminary tests, no endocrine activity has been identified for our formulas.
II - Collaborative approach
There is currently a gap between the expectations of industry and the work carried out by research laboratories. Industrialists need validated tests to demonstrate whether a substance is a ED or not, whereas the vast majority of laboratories study the mechanisms involved for one or more families of molecules (e.g. bisphenols).
As a pioneer in the expertise of selection and elaboration of healthy products, SAVELCO is registered as a member of the PEPPER platform. This platform aims at supporting laboratories through the different steps of method validation leading to defined test protocols recognized by the regulatory authorities. These tests constitute practical tools for the industrialists to confirm if substrates are ED or not.
III - Scientific and technical analysis
To enable us to see things more clearly, we do not hesitate to surround ourselves with experts in the field!
In order to understand the complex mechanisms and to make the link between a theoretical scientific approach and a more practical one, we are in contact with the best scientific experts in the field of ED in order to validate the absence of ED potential in our formulas.
IV - Rigorous selection of our molecules
To preserve the quality of our products and its low impact on your health, as well as that of the environment,
we have decided to apply the precautionary principle. The substances in our portfolio have to behave themselves!
We have set up a rigorous procedure to compare all the existing international lists of ED with the molecules we use. If one of the molecules we have listed is suspected of being an ED, it is removed from the formulations in favor of uncontested alternatives.
Why these actions?
Because the more we demand of ourselves and the more uncompromising we are with our products, the safer you are when using them.