**3. Environmental fate**

**Area of the harmful**

178 Emerging Pollutants in the Environment - Current and Further Implications

**Female reproductive health**

**Male reproductive health**

**Sex ratio**

**Thyroid-related disorders**

**Hormone-related cancers**

**Adrenal disorders in human and wildlife**

**Immune function and diseases in humans and wildlife**

**action Examples Chemicals responsible**

Interferences in endocrine signallig of pubertal timing, fecundity, fertility and menopause

> Testicular cancer Testis germ cel Genital abnormalities in babies

EDC-related sex ratio imbalances in wild fish and molluscs

Interferences in thyroid function, including pregnant women; reduced thyroid hormones levels in blood serum in rodents

Adrenocortical hyperplasia (Baltic Sea seals)

Induction delayed effects in the response to stress in animal

**Metabolic disorders** Obesity, diabetes BPA, PCBs, dioxins

**Table 3.** Summarized information about the adverese health effects of EDCs on wildlife [7].

Endometriosis PCBs, phtalates, dioxins Fibroids Phtalates

Cryptorchidism Diethylstilbestrol, pesticides

Hypospadias Endocrine disrupting pesticides Feminization Estrogenic chemicals

chloropropane

PCBs, BPA, phtalates, perfluorinated chemicals

dioxins)

tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Mixture of DDT and PCBs and their methyl sulfone metabolites

PCBs

Reduced semen quality dioxins

Fewer male offsprings in human Dioxin, 1,2-dibromo-3-

Breast, endometrial, ovarian, proostate cancers Xenoestrogens (PCBs, pesticides,

Interfering development of the fetal adrenal cortex PCBs

**Bone disorders** Bone disorders, decreased bone mineral density PCBs, DDT, hexachlorobenzene

Thyroid cancer Pesticides,2,3,7,8-

Prostate inflammation Xenoestrogens Allergic sensitization BPA Lymphoma and leukemia - Autoimmune thyroid disease PAHs, PCBs Endometriosis and allergies Phtalates, dioxins Asthma Phtalates

Fate and transport data interpretation is a very challenging task to perform. Although the amount of information is sufficient, it is crucial to identify critical processes and transport pathways for prioritization and screening purposes.

Analyzing the ways the endocrine active compunds enter the enviornment, it can be distin‐ guished as an nonpoint or a one point source of pollution. Areas affected with pollution are mainly stream downs from cornfields and farm areas where different types of plant protetction products and fertilizers are used, which can contain significant quantities of pharmaceutical residue. Smaller quantities can reach the ecosystems by precipitation.

There's no doubt that the main source of xenoestrogene emissions to the enviornment are one point pollutuion sources. A significant part of the EDC group compounds is reaching water ecosystems with sewage.

And with that occuring, surface waters and underground waters have higher levels of concentration of these substances than in air or soil.

Residue of pharamceuticals and other substances that are biologically active coming from sources such as houses, hospitals, and production plants head to the sewer plants where they undergo different processes of water purification. Unfortunately, due to their physicochemical properties, they are resistant to biodegradation processes. This results in significant quantities of residue are not eliminated and get across to water ecosystems or with sewage sludge to the soil, groundwaters, and drinking waters. The ineptitude of widely used water purification systems has caused all the elements of the environment to be polluted by endocrine com‐ pounds. Xenobiotics, after reaching water ecosystems, undergo many different changes in chemical processes in living organisms as well as the abiotic part of the environment.

There are three environmental processes that affect the environmental fate of EDCs (as well as other pollutants). They are defined as:


The environmental fate of endocrine disruptors is shown schematically in Figure 6 [35].

Compounds interfereing in the endocrine balance can undergo biodegradation, photodegra‐ dation, sedimantation, elimination hydrolisys, or sorption on the matter particules suspended in water. The level on which they will be adsorbed depends on the physical and chemical properties and affinity to the particles present in water [35, 36].

Compounds included in this group, just like other types of xenobiotics, may undergo the bioaccumulation process in tissues and organs of organisms at higher trophic levels. This thesis is confirmed by data on toxaphene presented in Table 4. Toxaphene is an insecticide contained in over 670 products. Toxaphene is characterised by toxicity, stability, and ability to bioaccu‐ mulate in animals and to travel long distances. Toxaphene is poorly soluble in water, so it can be found in the air, soil, or sediments on the bottom of lakes and streams [37]. In the 1970s, toxaphene was one of the most commonly used pesticides in the world [38, 39].


**Table 4.** Toxaphene concentrations in samples from various parts of non-living environment and biota accumulated in the Arctic areas of Canada [41].

**•** Persistence – the tendency of a chemical substance or its degradation products to survive in the environment without being transformed into other forms, (measure: hydrolysis half-

**•** Mobility – the tendency of a chemical substance to move within environmental media or between media (measure: volatility, Henry's law constant, Kd, Koc, groundwater ubiquitous

**•** Bioaccumulation – the capacity of a chemical to accumulate (be stored in tissue) in an organism as a result of uptake from all environmental sources (measure: octanol water

Compounds interfereing in the endocrine balance can undergo biodegradation, photodegra‐ dation, sedimantation, elimination hydrolisys, or sorption on the matter particules suspended in water. The level on which they will be adsorbed depends on the physical and chemical

Compounds included in this group, just like other types of xenobiotics, may undergo the bioaccumulation process in tissues and organs of organisms at higher trophic levels. This thesis is confirmed by data on toxaphene presented in Table 4. Toxaphene is an insecticide contained in over 670 products. Toxaphene is characterised by toxicity, stability, and ability to bioaccu‐ mulate in animals and to travel long distances. Toxaphene is poorly soluble in water, so it can be found in the air, soil, or sediments on the bottom of lakes and streams [37]. In the 1970s,

toxaphene was one of the most commonly used pesticides in the world [38, 39].

**Element of the environment Concentration [ppb]**

Air 0.0007

Snow 0.0009–0.002

Seawater 0.0003

Zooplankton 3.6

Arctic cod 14–46

Arctic char 44–157

Ringed seal oil 130–480

Narwhal oil 2240–9160

**Table 4.** Toxaphene concentrations in samples from various parts of non-living environment and biota accumulated in

the Arctic areas of Canada [41].

European sturgeon oil 1380–5780

The environmental fate of endocrine disruptors is shown schematically in Figure 6 [35].

score, aged soil column leaching, and terrestrial field dissipation studies).

life, aerobic and anaerobic soil metabolism, and photolysis).

partition coefficient, BCF, and animal metabolism).

180 Emerging Pollutants in the Environment - Current and Further Implications

properties and affinity to the particles present in water [35, 36].

Toxaphene was used for fighting pest insects feeding on cotton, grain, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. In the 1970s, fishing and hunting agencies also used toxaphene for killing fish species that were considered undesirable. It was also used for fighting ticks and other acari in domestic animals and poultry. Toxaphene is currently banned in the USA and in 57 other countries worldwide, while in other 12 countries, its use is strictly restricted. At the beginning of the 1990s, toxaphene was produced in Africa and Latin America; it is estimated that it is used in the largest quantities in Africa [37, 40].

**Figure 6.** Schematic presentation of the environmental fate of endocrine disruptors.

Fig. 7.A)
