November 2014: The Nordic Council of Ministers has released a report detailing the socioeconomic effects of endocrine disrupting (ED) substances on the male reproductive system. The report, titled ‘The Cost of Inaction,’ outlines research finding that ED substances could have substantial economic and health impacts on society.

Estimating the costs of the effects of ED on male reproductive health and the incidence of disease in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the report finds that ED exposure at levels of 2%, 20% 0r 40% in the Nordic countries represents costs of €3.6 million, 36.1 million, or 72.3 million per year. Diseases studied in the report are those that have been found to have a causal link to ED exposure, including testicular cancer, hypospadias, cryptorchidism and infertility. The report cautions that there could be many more health effects and costs from ED exposure.

The report recommends that exposure to ED be minimized as much as possible to improve individual health and to save society from “considerable economic costs.” It proposes the following steps for limiting exposure: create scientific criteria for the identification of endocrine disrupters; include EDs in standard information reporting requirements; screen substances for ED properties; test suspected ED substances; and create regulation aimed at minimizing ED exposure. [Publication: The Cost of Inaction]