Editorial: Endocrine Disruptors in Aquatic Vertebrates

Abstract

As human activities progress, large amounts of substances are produced and released into the aquatic environment. Many of these substances can act as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can interact with the neuroendocrine system of exposed animals, altering their normal physiological function and their progeny. EDCs are substances capable -at different biological levels- of interfering with hormone synthesis and metabolism, receptors activation, gland structure, behavioral responses and epigenetic changes in exposed organisms. The objective of this Research Topic was i) to better understand the effects of these contaminants in real-world systems, at large spatial scales; ii) to demonstrate the mechanism of action of these EDCs in different phylogenetic groups.