Guidance document for handling criteria for endocrine disruptors in the construction industry

Safe products are important for the building and construction industry as many of these products have a long lifetime and are used in large quantities. The building and construction industry is focused on the substitution of unwanted chemical substances and needs methods to apply the EU's developed definition of endocrine disruptors. The guidance document proposes a practical method using scientifically based criteria for evaluating endocrine disruptors. An evaluation flow chart with three main steps has been proposed to help optimize the adaptation of current knowledge and information about endocrine disruptors and to be prepared for new and updated information. The flow chart supports evaluation of all the relevant scientific data in a transparent and holistic way and enables a quality-assured flow of information. Proposed workflow:
• Step A: Assessed and identified as endocrine disruptor (ED)
• Step B: Other indications that the substance of interest can have ED properties
• Step C: Evaluation of the ED assessment found in step B The main benefit of the proposed workflow is that it combines the strength of both regulatory assessments and non-regulatory lists while allowing for new scientific evidence to be included in case the criteria used in these lists become outdated or are refuted.