[Endocrine Disruptors: what are we talking about and what new mecanisms of toxicity do they bring into play?]

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT NEW MECHANISMS OF TOXICITY DO THEY BRING INTO PLAY? Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are chemicals that can interfere with the functioning of the endocrine system and thereby cause an adverse event. They are suspected of being toxic to the environment and to humans and to increase the risk of developing pathologies such as cancer, metabolic, neurological or immune diseases. These substances are defined by their mechanisms of action which are now described as "Adverse Outcome Pathways" or AOPs. AOPs correspond to a logical chain of events leading to an adverse effect. EDs have properties which have modified our concepts in toxicology, in particular due to the low-dose effects of certain EDs, the possible effects of ED mixtures and finally their delayed effects over time, sometimes with years or decades that separate exposure and impact. Epigenetic mechanisms probably explain these delayed effects.