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REMOVAL OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS USING DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES
Citation:
Cicmanec*, J L., T F. Speth*, AND K M. Schenck*. REMOVAL OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS USING DRINKING WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES. Presented at AWWA's Endocrine Disruptors and Water Industry Symposium, Cincinnati, OH, 4/18-20/2002.
Description:
A growing body of scientific information has shown that man-made industrial chemicals and pesticides may interfere with the normal functioning of human and wildlife endocrine systems. These agents are referred to collectively as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and they are defined as exogeneous agents that interfere with the synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body that are responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis, reproduction, developoment, and/or behavior. This group contains a wide range of substances including the pesticides (methoxychlor, endosulfan), biodegration products of nonionic surfactants (4-nonylphenol and nonylphenol mono and di-ethyoxylates) a pasticizer (diethylhexylphthalate) and organohalogens (PCBs, dioxin, DDT and some of its metabolites). While there is generally agreement among scientists on this list of chemicals, additional laboratory testing is likely to provide evidence of adding other substances to this list in the near future.