2010/10/26 by Amber Wise, O’Brien Kacie, Tracey J. Woodruff · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Medicine · #Chemistry #Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals #Environmental chemistry #Environmental engineering #Environmental health #Environmental planning #Environmental protection #Environmental science #Feminization (sociology) #Medicine #Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts #Public health #Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species #Wastewater #Water pollutants #Water supply
paper · doi:10.1021/es1014482
openalex publication_date 2010/10/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Recent observed feminization of aquatic animals has raised concerns about estrogenic compounds in water supplies and the potential for these chemicals to reach drinking water. Public perception frequently attributes this feminization to oral contraceptives (OCs) in wastewater and raises concerns that exposure to OCs in drinking water may contribute to the recent rise in human reproductive problems. This paper reviews the literature regarding various sources of estrogens, in surface, source and drinking water, with an emphasis on the active molecule that comes from OCs. It includes discussion of the various agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources and outlines the contributions of estrogenic chemicals to the estrogenicity of waterways and estimates that the risk of exposure to synthetic estrogens in drinking water on human health is negligible. This paper also provides recommendations for strategies to better understand all the potential sources of estrogenic compounds in the environment and possibilities to reduce the levels of estrogenic chemicals in the water supply.