Preface

Chapter 8 **Rapid, High-Throughput Detection of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Using Autobioluminescent Cellular**

Furches, Steven Ripp, Gary Sayler and Dan Close

Tingting Xu, Andrew Kirkpatrick, Jody Toperzer, Marvin Steven

**Bioreporters 127**

**VI** Contents

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including many agents of chemical or natural ori‐ gin, are able to imbalance hormone-driven processes in animals and humans (fish-eating populations). Disruption of maternal endocrine hormones during fetal development may re‐ sult in irreversible consequences in offspring. This book, Endocrine Disruptors, starts with an overview of what endocrine disruptors are, the questions surrounding them, and the ba‐ sis of these chemicals in the ecosystem. The book covers the mechanism of action of bisphe‐ nol S and dibutyl phthalates. This is followed by the biotransformation of bisphenol A and its adverse effects on the next generation. The book also describes the effect of benomyl and its metabolite carbendazim on the reproductive and developmental health and also the role of endocrine disruptors on reproductive toxicity in males. The book offers comprehensive coverage about the communication between the endocrine disruptors and obesity. The final chapter addresses detection of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals using autobiolumines‐ cent cellular bioreporters. This book will be of interest to scientists, neuroendocrinologists, neurotoxicologists, physicians, and lay readers wishing to review recent developments in the field of EDCs.

> **Ahmed R.G.** Associate Professor of Developmental and Experimental Biology Division of Anatomy and Embryology Zoology Department Faculty of Science Beni-Suef University Egypt

**Chapter 1**

Provisional chapter

), the most com-

**Occurrence of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals in the**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.78325

In developing countries such as Colombia, information on the occurrence of endocrine disruptors is still incipient. Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, has a complexity at an anthropogenic and environmental level that makes it particularly important to determine the possible presence of this type of compounds and the risks associated with its presence in aquatic environments. During the present study, the occurrence of endocrine disruptors, mainly pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, and hormones in different aquatic matrices including wastewater, surface water, runoff water, and drinking water was evaluated; the results show that phthalates present the highest occurrence followed by bisphenol A,

monly found compound is bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (BEHP). It was also found in the drinking water, this leads to the conclusion that endocrine disruptors in Colombia and Bogotá are a reality and deserve attention from researchers to deepen their potential sources of generation and control strategies, as well as the provision must start generating

Keywords: endocrine disruptors, occurrence, water pollution, hazard ratio, emerging

The increased interest in the study of endocrine disruptors and other emerging pollutants in aquatic matrices that is evidenced in different scientific publications [1] arises from the evidence of their presence in components such as wastewater and its association with problems and effects on ecosystems. This is also due to the high production and commercialization of chemical

> © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

with an important participation of carbamazepine (0.68–31.45 μg L<sup>1</sup>

Occurrence of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals in the

**Urban Water Cycle of Colombia**

Urban Water Cycle of Colombia

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Diego Fernando Bedoya-Ríos and

Diego Fernando Bedoya-Ríos and

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

Jaime Andrés Lara-Borrero

Jaime Andrés Lara-Borrero

Abstract

policies in this regard.

contaminants

1. Introduction

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

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.78325

Diego Fernando Bedoya-Ríos and Jaime Andrés Lara-Borrero Diego Fernando Bedoya-Ríos and Jaime Andrés Lara-Borrero

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

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

#### Abstract

In developing countries such as Colombia, information on the occurrence of endocrine disruptors is still incipient. Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, has a complexity at an anthropogenic and environmental level that makes it particularly important to determine the possible presence of this type of compounds and the risks associated with its presence in aquatic environments. During the present study, the occurrence of endocrine disruptors, mainly pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, and hormones in different aquatic matrices including wastewater, surface water, runoff water, and drinking water was evaluated; the results show that phthalates present the highest occurrence followed by bisphenol A, with an important participation of carbamazepine (0.68–31.45 μg L<sup>1</sup> ), the most commonly found compound is bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (BEHP). It was also found in the drinking water, this leads to the conclusion that endocrine disruptors in Colombia and Bogotá are a reality and deserve attention from researchers to deepen their potential sources of generation and control strategies, as well as the provision must start generating policies in this regard.

Keywords: endocrine disruptors, occurrence, water pollution, hazard ratio, emerging contaminants

#### 1. Introduction

The increased interest in the study of endocrine disruptors and other emerging pollutants in aquatic matrices that is evidenced in different scientific publications [1] arises from the evidence of their presence in components such as wastewater and its association with problems and effects on ecosystems. This is also due to the high production and commercialization of chemical

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and eproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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

EC gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, noting that this technique offers good results with respect to other methodologies used, such as supercritical fluid extraction, derived fluorescence followed by liquid-liquid microextraction, and other techniques of chromatography with mass spectrometry. This in turn has been proven to be a high precision technique with a sensitivity of 4–

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

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

3

At the level of Colombia and specifically in the city of Bogotá, there have been no studies evaluating the occurrence of EDs in aquatic matrices or the associated ecosystem risk; thus, it is important to set a precedent taking into account the problems of domestic and industrial wastewater pollution in the primary cities around the country [27]. The city of Bogotá has chemically assisted coverage for the treatment of domestic wastewater of approximately 30% at the primary level, which implies the arrival of large amounts of organic matter and different compounds in surface waters such as rivers and channels [28]. On the other hand, the evaluation of photocatalytic treatments [29] or natural systems (wetlands) [30] for the treatment of

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

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

, except for hormones, for which the precision is 50–300 ng L<sup>1</sup> [26].

some endocrine disruptors of general interest has been studied.

wastewater and industrialists from all areas of the city.

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

6 ng L<sup>1</sup>

2. Study area

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 flame retardants, among others [5].

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

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 ng L<sup>1</sup> ), testosterone (26 ng L<sup>1</sup> ), progesterone (123 ng L<sup>1</sup> ), and hydrocortisone (13.5 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 EC gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, noting that this technique offers good results with respect to other methodologies used, such as supercritical fluid extraction, derived fluorescence followed by liquid-liquid microextraction, and other techniques of chromatography with mass spectrometry. This in turn has been proven to be a high precision technique with a sensitivity of 4– 6 ng L<sup>1</sup> , except for hormones, for which the precision is 50–300 ng L<sup>1</sup> [26].

At the level of Colombia and specifically in the city of Bogotá, there have been no studies evaluating the occurrence of EDs in aquatic matrices or the associated ecosystem risk; thus, it is important to set a precedent taking into account the problems of domestic and industrial wastewater pollution in the primary cities around the country [27]. The city of Bogotá has chemically assisted coverage for the treatment of domestic wastewater of approximately 30% at the primary level, which implies the arrival of large amounts of organic matter and different compounds in surface waters such as rivers and channels [28]. On the other hand, the evaluation of photocatalytic treatments [29] or natural systems (wetlands) [30] for the treatment of some endocrine disruptors of general interest has been studied.
