2. Study area

products in the world with different uses that cause them to be in important concentrations in all matrices, including water [2]. However, both the occurrence studies and the ecotoxicological and risk studies have not been conducted with the same frequency throughout the world, with large differences in the amount of research conducted in the United States and Europe relative to that

Although there has been a significant increase in research in this field, there is still a marked difference between the quantity of substances produced and the capacity to monitor, control and understand the totality of the transformations and impacts on the ecosystems they generate. Research and policy tools are lacking in many contexts around the world [2, 4]. Research on ECs encompasses multiple concepts and definitions that are related, including the concepts of micropollutants, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, disinfection byproducts, and

To address the issue of endocrine disruptors, it is necessary to speak on emerging pollutants in the first instance, an EC or, preferably, a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC) is defined as any naturally occurring substance, chemical or artificial material that has been discovered or suspected to be present in various environmental compartments and whose toxicity or persistence is likely to significantly alter the metabolism of a living being [6]. The classification of ECs has also been the subject of discussion based on the aforementioned definitions; many of the so-called micro-contaminants are ECs, and even so-called nanoparticles are included. Some of the most widespread classifications include drugs, hormones, polymers, pesticides, stimu-

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) chemicals are a category within ECs associated with the type of health risk, such as those that are capable of disrupting the normal functioning of the endocrine system, responsible for all hormonal physiology in living beings [11]. There has been considerable research on EDs around the world, predominantly in Europe and the United States [12, p. 37, 13–16]. Studies have also been performed in Asia, specifically in China, where ED concentrations rarely exceed micrograms per liter [17, 18]. The risk and toxicity of the different ECs have been approached from different points of view, including controlled experimental trials, cohort studies, epidemiological studies of cases and controls, and ecotoxicological studies focusing on the chronic risk as EDs [19, 20]; one of the best known cases is that of bisphenol A, a recognized plasticizer of widespread use worldwide [21]. As part of what continues to be found regarding the level of the risk, contaminants appear on various lists around the world according to precautionary principle, and more than 56 were identified in a single sample of surface water [22]. One of the main sources of EDs in the aquatic environment is wastewater, where it is possible to find sufficient concentrations of these compounds to contaminate surface sources or subsequently contaminate soils or food when the compounds are used for irrigation [23]. This situation has even led water for human consumption exhibiting significant amounts of disruptors; according to a study by Plotan et al. [24], even in bottled and flavored water, it is possible to find concentrations of EDs such as β-estradiol (10

), progesterone (123 ng L<sup>1</sup>

Another aspect that has presented challenges in the monitoring of EDs is the diversity of compounds that can affect the endocrine system and the techniques for measuring them, which are increasingly sensitive and robust; Mol et al. [25] proposed as a technique for the quantification of

), and hydrocortisone (13.5 ng L<sup>1</sup>

).

in Latin America or elsewhere in the world [3].

lants, nanoparticles, and nanomaterials [7–10].

ng L<sup>1</sup>

), testosterone (26 ng L<sup>1</sup>

flame retardants, among others [5].

2 Endocrine Disruptors

Colombia is a tropical country located north of South America and whose capital is Bogotá, has around 9 million inhabitants, also constituting the most important commercial and industrial city [31]. The main river that crosses the extension of the capital district is the Bogotá River that in turn receives as main tributaries the Tunjuelo, Fucha, and Arzobispo rivers that flow into the Northwest zone of the city; these present a significant pollution due to the discharge of wastewater and industrialists from all areas of the city.

Figure 1 shows the distribution area of the sampling points that included three points in the Bogotá River, in the mouths of its effluents, in three rainwater channels, three wetlands, the

Figure 1. Distribution of monitoring points of EDs in the city of Bogotá.

main sources of supply for the city, and points of the water distribution network; the potable water points were selected according to their distribution from the three current supply systems in the city, including the reservoirs used to supply each system. As for the residual water points, the determination was made at the plant (northwest of the city) and at a sewage pumping station known as the San Benito lifting plant in the southeast.

to determine the flow in terms of area by velocity was to take a sample every hour for a period of 8 h, recording the values of flow rates and parameters at the measuring site (pH, conductivity, salinity, and oxygen). In drinking water, it was necessary to seek the assistance of the users of the system, who were trained to take the samples in their homes; these samples were

Occurrence of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals in the Urban Water Cycle of Colombia

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78325

5

At the exit of the reservoirs used as sources of supply, rainwater channels, sections of the Bogotá River and its tributaries, we used windmills. In the wetlands, samples were taken at different points in the water mirror and in the exits and entries that could be identified, taking into account that the latter are composed of large areas of water and in some cases are fractioned. Two liters of water were taken for each sampling point in each campaign in amber glass bottles of 1 l capacity, refrigerated, and taken as soon as possible to the laboratory for

The spatial occurrence of the pharmaceutical group was determined, in particular, the pharmaceutical compounds are of interest due to their pharmacological activity and their wide use in all contexts; recent studies catalog them as some of the compounds of greater occurrence in aquatic matrices [1, 3, 32]. As expected, the presence of this type of compound exhibits a regular behavior, indicating that these compounds come from sources of continuous contamination, possibly from domestic wastewater containing residues of these compounds that are not fully metabolized [33]. In general terms, the concentrations exhibit similar behaviors for

range of 10–120 ng L<sup>1</sup> [3, 34]. The presence of carbamazepine is striking, as it is known to pose a significant risk to ecosystems and public health [35]. Based on this descriptive information, the highest occurrences are seen for fluoxetine and carbamazepine compounds in runoff waters (12%) and trimethoprim (17%) and carbamazepine (26%) in wastewater and surface waters; these compounds are commonly used as antiepileptics and antidepressants. In the case of carbamazepine, which presents the greatest occurrences, its presence in all type of aquatic matrices has been previously reported [36, 37]; its presence is related to incomplete metabolism

Figure 2 shows that the points with the highest occurrence of pharmacists are in the western part of the city, specifically in the points located in the Bogota River and the mouths of its tributaries Tunjuelito, Fucha, and Arzobispo; this makes sense since they receive the runoff from city waters and also domestic and industrial wastewater resulting from wrong connec-

On the other hand, it should be noted that the point observed in the eastern part of the city corresponds to the main point of supply of the drinking water network (wiesner about 70% in coverage), this was presented for the carbamazepine compound that was found in two of the samples corresponding to this point. There is no evidence of contamination sources close to this source of supply, but an alert is generated in this regard that should lead to greater monitoring, mainly to one of the reservoirs that supply this system that is known as the

, relative to a

compounds such as fluoxetine but higher in the case of trimethoprim, 860 ng L<sup>1</sup>

in the body, excessive use by people and its persistence in the environment [35, 36].

tions to the sewage or combined sewer system.

subsequently collected for analysis.

preprocessing.

4. Results and analysis

The selection of the compounds for the monitoring of EDs was based on preliminary and secondary information that allowed us to know the possible sources and quantities generated, groups and commercially available categories, and availability of external standards used in the assembly of the standards and their corresponding calibration curves. These categories are as follows: pharmaceutical compounds (14 compounds), organophosphorus pesticides (20 compounds), hormones and steroids (8 compounds), and phthalates (14 compounds); all high-quality standards were obtained from RESTEK® (Pennsylvania, USA).
