Reproductive Toxicity of Environmental Contaminants in the Female

Exposure to environmental contaminants has been linked to numerous adverse reproductive health outcomes; however, regulatory testing for hazard identification and risk assessment remains a challenge. Moreover, assessing the potential impact of exposure to environmental contaminants in females is complicated by a paucity of exposure data, lack of suitable biomarkers of effect, modifiable factors, and challenges in translation of effects in animals to humans. This section reviews current screening methods for hazard identification and emerging techniques that enhance the sensitivity of existing methods for assessing female reproductive toxicity while providing mechanistic insights for regulatory decisions.