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The results of a literature survey into the consequences of hormone disrupting, and more in particular oestrogenic, substances for human health are summarized. For about 55 environment-contaminating (groups of) substances it is assumed that they may interfere with human reproduction via a hormone disrupting mechanism, probably via a wide range of toxic mechanisms. Available data indicate that a large number of these substances does not elicit their effects, if any, through interaction with the oestrogen receptor. The attention for the xenoestrogenic substances follows a reported possible decline in the quality of the human sperm. For other phenomena, e.g. breast and testicular cancers an increase in occurrence is reported. It is thought that these phenomena might be related to an increased exposure to oestrogenic substances. However, experimental data, supporting this hypothesis do not exist. A preliminary estimation indicates that exposure to anthropogenic environmental oestrogens contributes much less to the total exposure to oestrogens than exposure to endogenous or almost inevitable exposure to natural oestrogens via the food. At least part of the reported phenomena may be attributable to other factors which have changed in time e.g. diet composition and total energy intake. For a more definite conclusion about any causal relationship between the occurrence of health phenomena and exposure to environmental hormone disruptors additional scientific research into the nature and severity of the reported phenomena, the extent to which people are exposed and the association between the two of these is required.