Removal of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Drinking Water

Abstract

Various adverse health effects of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) had been reported in recent years. Endocrine disrupting compounds also called environmental hormones, were exogenous endocrine disrupting compounds discharged into the environment by industrial production processes and could interfere with the endocrine systems of humans or animals abnormal and generate carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic substances. They were widely distributed in the biosphere, by precipitation, surface runoff, the use of pesticide and water pollution, through the enrichment of drinking water and food chain leading serious harm to humans and organisms. Such compounds indirectly cause humans toxic and abnormal, but induce the estrogen-like effects on the organism directly. Even if the content is very low, endocrine disrupting compounds could threaten serious harm to human health and survival. In recent years, various kinds of endocrine disrupting compounds were also detected in the rivers and lakes in China with the rapid development of economy. Human exposure to very low dose during critical periods, for example at the cellular differentiation period, could alter the development course of these tissues and this may result in permanent character changes in the mature living beings 1. Recent toxicity studies indicated that bisphenol A exposure in