Das Projekt "Contaminant mixtures and human reproductive health - novel strategies for health impact and risk assessment of endocrine disrupters (CONTAMED)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Brunel University London, Institute for the Environment durchgeführt. Objective: Disruption of hormonal signalling in fetal life can irreversibly affect human development and reproductive health at a later age. Of considerable concern in Europe is a decline in male semen quality and a high prevalence of congenital malformations and hormone-dependent cancers. Although it appears plausible that environmental chemicals with endocrine activity may be involved in the causation of these disorders, there is no evidence for adverse effects of individual substances at relevant human exposure levels. However, there are indications that combinations of chemicals play a cumulative role. CONTAMED aims to explore the hypothesis that combined exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in fetal life may lead to adverse delayed impacts on human reproductive health. To achieve this goal, CONTAMED will combine epidemiological approaches with laboratory science. The work plan for CONTAMED is organised in three major strands focusing on human studies, animal models and in vitro assays including metabolomics.