Necessity to establish new risk assessment and risk communication for human fetal exposure to multiple endocrine disruptors in Japan

Abstract

Our recent study clearly shows that fetuses are exposed to multiple chemicals including endocrine disruptors in Japan. Although the embryo and fetus stages are the most sensitive period to chemicals in humans' life cycle, the health effects of the chemicals such as endocrine disruptors to them are largely unknown. The conventional risk assessment method cannot assess the risk to fetuses precisely. Now we need a new risk assessment, in which the target is fetuses and not the adults, in addition to the conventional risk assessment. At the same time, we also need a new strategy to practically eliminate the risk for the future generations. To make the strategy effective, we suggest a new approach to reduce the risk and avoid the possible adverse health effects, using primary, secondary and tertiary preventions as they are used in public health. We also suggest a new concept of "pre-primary prevention" to reduce the risk for fetuses. Furthermore, to make this method even more practical, we suggest a new risk communication method. In this paper, we present a framework of risk avoidance of multiple chemical exposure to fetuses.