CONTAMED has the following main objectives:

* To prepare the ground for epidemiological studies able to capture cumulative EDC exposure by developing and evaluating biomarkers for total effective internal EDC load. This will rely on in vitro bioassays representative of various EDC actions ("mode-of-action screens") and will utilize tissue specimens from three existing European mother-child cohorts.

* To substantiate observations from human studies in extended developmental toxicity rat studies by investigating the possible role of mixtures of estrogens, anti-androgens and other classes of EDC in producing long-lasting delayed adverse reproductive effects at environmentally relevant levels.

* To bring together human epidemiology and predictive toxicological risk assessment by comparing internal EDC exposures in humans with those resulting from controlled exposures producing clear effects in laboratory animal experiments. This will enhance the usefulness of animal data in making extrapolations to the human.

* To search for previously unrecognised EDCs in human tissues by combining analytical chemistry with in vitro EDC mode-of-action screens in

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CONTAMED - Contaminant mixtures and human reproductive health

bioassay-directed fractionations ("toxicity identification and evaluation", TIE) and by using metabolomic profiling to identify xenobiotic as well as endogenous biomarker metabolites.

* To strengthen the European Environment and Health Action Plan and the Endocrine Disrupter Strategy by reflecting on the implications of project results for practical policy measures and human b