Evidence is mounting that manufactured chemicals may interfere with the endocrine system in people and in wildlife. To advise the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on developing a new program to screen and test such substances, a committee of researchers, industry officials and public interest groups met earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Scientists believe the chemicals, known as endocrine-disrupters, cause developmental, behavioral and reproductive damage. Though many of the chemicals in question already undergo toxicological testing, current testing doesn't adequately assess the risks, say some scientists, such as D. Michael Fry, a researcher with UC Davis' Center for Avian Biology, and a member of the EPA advisory committee. Current federal testing for such effects in fish is non-existent, for example, and little data have been generated showing the effects of endocrine disrupters on mammals, says Fry. He also says that the current federal testing required to determine chemicals' potential carcinogenicity is not appropriate for determining chemicals' potential endocrine-disrupting effects.