Effluents from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) have been reported to have a broad spectrum of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). The majority of studies have focused on the occurrence of estrogenic activity, while ignoring nuclear hormone receptors (NRs) pathways. In the present study, a battery of in vitro yeast bioassays and a cell bioassay, including antagonistic and agonistic effects on estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR), estrogenrelated receptor (ERR) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), were conducted to evaluate the removal efficiencies of EDCs by different treatment processes of a WWTP located in Beijing. Estrogenic, anti-estrogenic, antiandrogenic, anti-progesteronic, anti-ERR and the activation of AHR activities were detected in samples from all treatment processes and the receiving water. The concentration of estrogenic contaminants with estradiol (E 2 ) equivalent concentrations ranged from 0.82 Â 10