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

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.