Impact of man-made environmental changes on endocrine systems.

Man-made changes of the environment are a serious threat for life on earth and affect human health and biodiversity. They are, thus, of utmost social and scientific importance and have been an important focus of the Leopoldina during the last decade. The symposium aims to elucidate and discuss the impact of climate change (global warming, increasing ocean salinity), plastic pollution and endocrine disruption, light pollution and shift work on endocrine systems in both invertebrates and vertebrates including humans. Special emphasis will be placed on endrocine disruption caused by a wide range of plastics and other man-made substances.

Sometimes, the effects caused by an endocrine-disrupting substance are only seen long after the exposure. For example, the exposure of a foetus in the womb to an endocrine-disrupting substance may lead to effects that affect the health of the adult and possibly also future generations. In wildlife, effects that may be related to endocrine disruption have been seen in molluscs, crustaceans, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals in various parts of the world. In some species, impaired reproduction has caused a decrease in the population. Thus, endocrine disruption is a risk for biodiversity. Other risks for biodiversity (such as increases in temperature and salinity of oceans) and for human health (such as chronodisruption caused by light pollution and shift work) will be further topics.

The symposium will comprise survey lectures given by internationally renowned scientists (see program on the right sidebar) as well as short oral and poster presentations given by young scientists selected from the participants of the 31st Conference of Comparative Endocrinologists. A public lecture on the topic will be presented by the organizer of the 31st CECE, Professor Oliana Carnevali, Ancona in Italian/English language.