Search for the evidence of endocrine disruption in the aquatic environment;
Lessons to be learned from joint biological and chemical monitoring
in the European project COMPREHEND
R. I. L. Eggen,* B.-E. Bengtsson, C. T. Bowmer, A. A. M. Gerritsen,
M. Gibert, K. Hylland, A. C. Johnson, P. Leonards, T. Nakari, L. Norrgren,
J. P. Sumpter, M. J.-F. Suter, A. Svenson, and A. D. Pickering
*Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science
and Technology (EAWAG), Überlandstrasse 133, CH-8600, Dübendorf,
Switzerland
Abstract: Between January 1999 and December 2001, the European
Community project COMPREHEND was performed. The overall aim of COMPREHEND
was to assess endocrine disruption in the aquatic environment in Europe,
consequent to effluent discharge, with emphasis on estrogenic activity.
COMPREHEND demonstrated the widespread occurrence of estrogenic effluents
across Europe and presented evidence of impacts on a range of wild fish
species. Using a variety of bioassays in combination with chemical analytical
methods, estrogenic steroids of human origin from domestic wastewater
effluents were identified as the most pervasive problem, although alkylphenols
may be important estrogenic components of some industrial effluents.
New tools have been developed for the identification of estrogenic effluents,
and recommendations are made for the improvement of existing techniques.
We have shown that individual fish within natural populations may be
feminized to varying degrees, but it has not been possible to show,
using traditional fish population parameters, that the survival of fish
populations is threatened. However, laboratory-based fish life-cycle
studies demonstrate the sensitivity of fish to estrogen (and androgen)
exposure and how this might lead to complex (and potentially damaging)
genetic changes at the population level. New approaches to this problem,
utilizing recent advances made in the field of molecular and population
genetics, are recommended. Finally, a study of estrogenic and androgenic
activity of waste waters during the treatment process has shown that
some of the existing wastewater treatment technologies have the potential
to eliminate or minimize the hormonal activity of the final effluent.
*Report from a SCOPE/IUPAC project: Implication of
Endocrine Active Substances for Human and Wildlife (J. Miyamoto and
J.Burger, editors). Other reports are published in this issue,
pp. 1617-2615.
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