Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is a pervasive global health concern. These anthropogenic substances can interfere with hormonal signalling pathways that govern development, growth, metabolism, and reproduction, and by so doing contribute to a wide spectrum of adverse health effects such as infertility, altered pubertal onset, and reproductive tract abnormalities (; ). Importantly, exposure to EDCs is not geographically confined: these substances are now detectable across ecosystems worldwide, reflecting their widespread production, use, and persistence in the environment (; ).
While EDCs represent a shared global challenge, the scientific and regulatory responses to these chemicals are far from evenly distributed. Research activity is heavily concentrated in a limited number of high-income countries, with a pronounced North–South divide in publication output and research capacity (). Similarly, regulatory frameworks can vary substantially between regions, shaped by differences in socio-economic priorities, infrastructure, and policy development (; ; ) This imbalance has important consequences; regions with the most limited capacity for monitoring, research, and regulation are often those where exposure risks may be substantial, due to agricultural practices, industrial activities, or continued use of legacy chemicals (; ; ; ; ) Beyond quantitative and qualitative differences in EDC exposures, variation in genetic background, nutrition, socio-economic conditions, and infectious disease burden across global regions may further shape the diverse health outcomes associated with chemical exposure (; ).
The Research Topic contributes to addressing this gap. Although comprising a modest number of articles, it highlights region-specific exposures, population contexts, and research challenges that remain underrepresented in the broader literature. In doing so, this Research Topic reiterates the need for more inclusive, globally representative research and regulation activities. It is clear that tackling the impact of EDCs on reproductive health requires coordinated international efforts, including strengthening research capacity in underrepresented regions, harmonizing regulatory approaches, and fostering global collaborations that better reflect the diversity of exposures and vulnerabilities worldwide. The contributions to this Research Topic collectively illustrate the diversity of EDC exposures and contexts across different regions and populations.
The first article (Doná et al.) examines glyphosate exposure in women from agriculturally intensive regions in Argentina and its association with breast cancer risk. Although urinary glyphosate concentrations did not differ between cases and controls, residential proximity to agricultural fields was associated with an increased risk. The study highlights both the ubiquity of glyphosate exposure in this population and the challenges of linking biomarkers of exposure to disease outcomes, underscoring the need for broader and more integrative approaches to exposure assessment.
The second article (Clark) provides a review on environmental and occupational risks faced by women in U.S. military service, an often-overlooked context of exposure. Military environments involve a complex mixture of chemical exposures that may interfere with endocrine function and reproductive health, particularly during key reproductive years. The review identifies substantial gaps and inconsistencies in the available literature, emphasizing the need for improved exposure characterization and longitudinal studies to better understand potential links between military-related exposures and adverse reproductive outcomes.
The third contribution (Vandenberg et al.) focuses on pesticides as a major class of chemicals with endocrine-disrupting and reproductive toxicant properties. It highlights the substantial global increase in pesticide use over recent decades and the implications for both occupationally exposed populations and the general population. This review highlights that pesticides remain integral to modern agriculture, but also that their widespread use raises concerns regarding unintended effects on human health, wildlife, and ecosystem integrity, placing them within the broader context of global health and planetary boundaries.
The fourth article (Passoni et al.) shifts attention to pharmaceuticals as potential endocrine disruptors, examining the use of mild analgesics during pregnancy in a Brazilian cohort. The study reports a high prevalence of analgesic use, particularly paracetamol, during early pregnancy. Given growing concerns regarding the effects of prenatal exposure to certain pharmaceuticals on reproductive and developmental outcomes (), these findings provide important population-level insight while reinforcing the need for further research into the potential long-term consequences of such exposures, including neurodevelopmental and reproductive effects.
Ultimately, a global perspective is essential for understanding the true health burden of chemical exposures. Recognising and addressing regional differences will be crucial for developing equitable regulatory frameworks, improving risk assessment, and ensuring that populations worldwide are adequately protected from the adverse effects of chemical exposure.
Statements
Author contributions
CS: Writing – review and editing, Conceptualization. AW: Writing – review and editing, Conceptualization. TS: Writing – review and editing, Writing – original draft, Conceptualization. AM-A: Conceptualization, Writing – review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declared that financial support was not received for this work and/or its publication.
Conflict of interest
The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
The authors TS, AM-A declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declared that generative AI was not used in the creation of this manuscript.
Any alternative text (alt text) provided alongside figures in this article has been generated by Frontiers with the support of artificial intelligence and reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, including review by the authors wherever possible. If you identify any issues, please contact us.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
References
1
BauerA. Z.SwanS. H.KriebelD.LiewZ.TaylorH. S.BornehagC.-G.et al (2021). Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol.17 (12), 757–766. 10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7
2
Bertoncello SouzaM.PassoniM. T.PälmkeC.MeyerK. B.VenturelliA. C.AraújoG.et al (2018). Unexpected, ubiquitous exposure of pregnant Brazilian women to diisopentyl phthalate, one of the most potent antiandrogenic phthalates. Environ. Int.119, 447–454. 10.1016/j.envint.2018.06.042
3
ClahsenS. C. S.van KampI.HakkertB. C.VermeireT. G.PiersmaA. H.LebretE. (2019). Why do countries regulate environmental health risks differently? A theoretical perspective. Risk Anal.39 (2), 439–461. 10.1111/risa.13165
4
DlaminiZ.AlaounaM.MaruthaT.Mkhize-KwitshanaZ.MbodiL.Chauke-MalingaN.et al (2025). The exposome perspective: environmental and infectious agents as drivers of cancer disparities in Low- and middle-income countries. Cancers17 (15), 2537. 10.3390/cancers17152537
5
GoreA. C.La MerrillM. A.PatisaulH. B.SargisR. (2024). Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health. Washington, DC: Endocrine Society and IPEN.
6
HolmerM. L.HolmbergR. D.DespichtC.BouftasN.AxelstadM.BeroniusA.et al (2025). Assessment of endocrine disruptors in the european union: current regulatory framework, use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) and recommendations for improvements. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol.162, 105883. 10.1016/j.yrtph.2025.105883
7
KassotisC. D.VandenbergL. N.DemeneixB. A.PortaM.SlamaR.TrasandeL. (2020). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: economic, regulatory, and policy implications. Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinol.8 (8), 719–730. 10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30128-5
8
KlingelhöferD.BraunM.DrögeJ.BrüggmannD.GronebergD. A. (2025). Global research on endocrine disruptors as emerging hazards for human health and the environment. Front. Endocrinol.16. 1561711, 10.3389/fendo.2025.1561711
9
OECD (2010). Risk and Regulatory Policy: Improving the Governance of Risk. 10.1787/9789264082939-en
10
OnyimeS. C.NworieF. S. (2026). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: environmental impact, exposure pathways, and human health risks – a review. Chem. Afr.9 (1), 1. 10.1007/s42250-025-01528-1
11
ParentA.-S.DamdimopoulouP.JohanssonH. K. L.BouftasN.DraskauM. K.FranssenD.et al (2025). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and female reproductive health: a growing concern. Nat. Rev. Endocrinol.21 (10), 593–607. 10.1038/s41574-025-01131-x
12
SkakkebaekN. E.Rajpert-De MeytsE.Buck LouisG. M.ToppariJ.AnderssonA.-M.EisenbergM. L.et al (2016). Male reproductive disorders and fertility trends: influences of environment and genetic susceptibility. Physiol. Rev.96 (1), 55–97. 10.1152/physrev.00017.2015
13
WallisD.TruongL.La DuJ.TanguayR.ReifD. (2021). Uncovering evidence for endocrine-disrupting chemicals that elicit differential susceptibility through gene-environment interactions. Toxics9 (4), 77. 10.3390/toxics9040077
Summary
Keywords
anthropogenic chemicals, chemical regulation, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC), exposure, human health
Citation
Spiller CM, Webster AB, Svingen T and Martino-Andrade AJ (2026) Editorial: From North to South: a global perspective on the impact of endocrine disruptors on reproductive development and function. Front. Toxicol. 8:1915721. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2026.1915721
Received
22 June 2026
Accepted
03 July 2026
Published
14 July 2026
Volume
8 - 2026
Edited and reviewed by
Bengt Fadeel, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Sweden
Updates
Copyright
© 2026 Spiller, Webster, Svingen and Martino-Andrade.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Terje Svingen, tesv@food.dtu.dk
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.