Drivers and potential effects of endocrine disruption in wild mammals : known facts and open questions

Karaer, Mina Cansu (author), Snoj, Tomaž (author)

Endocrine disruption has become a critical ecological problem, with environmental pollutants such as pesticides, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceutical residues playing crucial roles in altering endocrine regulation and disrupting key physiological processes. This overview addresses the mechanisms of endocrine disruption, focusing on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with hormone synthesis, receptor binding, and cellular signalling pathways, ultimately impacting animal reproductive function, development, and metabolism and thus affecting individuals, populations and ecosystems. We summarize the current state of knowledge on endocrine disruption and propose new research topics to clarify the effects of various substances with endocrine activity on organisms. Inter-species differences in sensitivity to EDCs, differences in receptor structure between species, observational studies on developmental disorders, effects of mixtures of EDCs, studies on epigenetic and transgenerational effects, and interactions between EDCs and other environmental stressors are presented as important topics for further research. Finally, we emphasize the need for collective action to protect biodiversity by curbing environmental pollution with EDCs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ecosystems, endocrine disruption, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, metabolic disorders, reproductive disorders, wild mammals
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 20 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, art. 1761496
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180257
• UDC: 591.5:612.43:504.5
• ISSN on article: 2296-665X
• DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2026.1761496
• COBISS.SI-ID: 270421507
• Publication date in RUL: 05.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in environmental science
• Shortened title: Front. environ. sci.
• Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
• ISSN: 2296-665X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523094297

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: ekosistemi, endokrine motnje, kemikalije, ki motijo ​​endokrini sistem, presnovne motnje, reproduktivne motnje, divji sesalci

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0053-2019
• Name: Endokrini, imunski in encimski odzivi pri zdravih in bolnih živalih