Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 23:11:27 EDT

A University of Calgary researcher is developing Canada's first public service facility to detect and uncover the mysteries surrounding environmental endocrine disrupters. Endocrine disrupters are chemicals known to mimic or block the activity of certain hormones such as estrogen and androgen.  

Dr. Hamid Habibi, says disrupters can interfere with physiological systems dependent on hormones, such as reproduction and sexual development.  

They may also cause the onset of some hormone-dependent cancers. These disrupters - there are an estimated 87,000 kinds - are introduced into the environment by industrial detergents, fertilizers, pesticides and pulp and paper effluent and they may be present in our water, food and air. "Without studying it we can't say anything definite, we don't have all the facts yet," he cautions. To detect the presence of the endocrine disrupters, Habibi will use genetically engineered cells that produce a color change or fluorescence when exposed to the chemicals.  

While his research group currently deals with just estrogen-like chemicals, Habibi plans to expand the analysis to include detection of other types of endocrine disrupters, including androgen and retinoic acid. 

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