The EPA is responsible for the impact of commercial chemicals released into the environment. One major concern is the impact some chemicals have on the endocrine system within humans and other animals. The EPA has recently released a list of chemicals that it intends to screen over the next five years for endocrine activity as part of the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). A more detailed explanation of the EDSP is available. The list of chemicals is also available.

Included on this list are several chemicals well known to people in healthcare sterile processing and food preparation and processing. These include:

Ethylene oxide

Hydrogen peroxide

Peracetic acid

Glutaraldehyde

Formaldehyde

Sodium hypochlorite

Ethanol and

Isopropanol

It should be stressed that these chemicals are on the list of 10,000 chemicals awaiting assessment; they have not yet been assessed; and with 10,000 chemicals under consideration, it would probably be hard to identify any chemical with widespread use that is not on the list. Watch this blog for more information as it becomes available.