1. Discovery of endocrine disruptors

Biologist Rachel Carson, in her 1962 book Silent spring , was the first to denounce the impact on bird reproduction and survival of persistent chemical pollutants such as DDT (dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane), which were being dumped into the environment by industry. This caused eggs to become brittle and birds to die prematurely, making for a silent spring.

Various phenomena were then reported, and proposals were made to regulate the use of biocides