Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds in Wastewater, Sludge-Treatment Processes, and Receiving Waters: Overview

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed overview of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in which the writers discuss the disrupter agent modes of action, the impact evidence on humans, the different methods of analysis, and the difficulties met with biological screening tests. A discussion of exposure duration follows, on the deficiencies of both long-term and single-generation experiments, which will be important to future study. The present review also discusses how EDCs are discharged into municipal and industrial wastewater and can pass through wastewater-treatment plants and enter the aquatic environment (into rivers and seas). In the end, the writers present different alternatives and techniques, which several researchers continue to develop, and adapt to treat the aqueous solutions and mainly the wastewater.