The Environment Agency said Friday it will put priority on studying four chemicals believed to disrupt the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife after a survey found them in concentrations that could affect living organisms.
Roughly 50 chemical substances were detected and classified into five groups in the nation's first comprehensive survey of contamination levels in the environment, the agency said in a report released Friday.
Of these, four -- tributyltin, nonylphenol, octylphenol, and di-n-butyl phthalate -- were found in some areas in concentrations that may have an impact on life, and were tagged as "A substances," deserving priority risk assessment.