Taiwan has completed plans to control environmental hormones, sometimes called endocrine disrupter substances (EDS). The staged plan, announced Monday by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), has become a global concern, over these harmful substances that may be found in a variety of environments including food and water supplies.

The US government defines an environmental endocrine or hormone disrupter as "an exogenous agent that interferes with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, development, and/or behavior."

In other words, endocrine disrupters are exterior substances that hamper the function of the body's endocrine system.

The Taiwan plans were drawn up by a government task force put together by the EPA, with clear definitions of which "ministries" and government agencies should be responsible for which fields of EDS management and control, according to an EPA statement.

While endocrine disrupters exist in a wide range of different fields, controlling their spread needs cooperation among a variety of different "ministries" and government agencies, the EPA said.

To that end, the plans call for six government authorities to be assigned to the management of EDS in their respective fields, according to the statement.

The Department of Health will be responsible for EDS in food, food containers and medical equipment and devices, while the Council of Agriculture will be assigned to EDS in pesticides, feed and agricultural products, the "Ministry of Economic Affairs" will deal with commodities and toys, the EPA will be responsible for household pesticides, drinking water and indoor air quality, the "Ministry of the Interior" will deal with green architecture and green construction materials and the "Ministry of Finance" will handle liquor safety, the statement said.

This year, efforts will also be made to review and modify regulations stipulating the management of environmental hormones in commodities, food products and the environment, such as principles for screening and defining toxic substances, the EPA said.

China Dily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/13/2010 page3)