June 26, 2001

Alkylphenols Bulletin: Studies Find Human Waste Is Principal Source Of Estrogens In Treated Sewage

The Alkylphenols Bulletin periodically notifies manufacturers and users of alkylphenols and their derivatives of national and international developments of interest. For further information, please contact the APE Research Council at the address below.

New research from the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US demonstrates that natural and pharmaceutical estrogens present in human waste are the principal source of estrogen-like activity found in treated sewage. The studies contradict earlier suggestions that alkylphenols (APs) are the dominant estrogenically active substances in waste streams. In fact, the new research shows that alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) are effectively biodegraded and removed in well-functioning sewage treatment plants and that APs, which are biodegradation intermediates - if detectable - are present in treatment plant effluents at levels too low to cause estrogenic effects. Further research is needed to determine the risk to fish or aquatic organisms living in estuaries, rivers or lakes exposed to human estrogens from sewage effluents.

• A UK study (K.V. Thomas et al., Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 20, pp. 2165-70, 2001) found that most of the estrogenic activity identified in surface and sediment water samples from the Tyne and Tees estuaries was due to the natural human hormone estradiol.

• Four Canadian studies (B.K. Burnison et al., N.D. Domey et al., and E.B. Dussault et al., 28 th Annual Aquatic Toxicity Workshop, Winnipeg, Canada, September 30-October 3, 2001; C.D. Metcalfe, The Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Boston, USA, November 5-8, 2001) reported that human hormones were by far the major source of estrogenic activity from sewage treatment plants. Levels of human hormones in effluents generally exceeded levels capable of causing effects in fish.

• Two German studies (P. Spengler et al., W. Kroner et al., Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 20, pp. 2133-41, 2142-51, 2001) used chemical and biological methods of analysis to demonstrate that the major estrogenic activity present in effluents of sewage treatment plants was from human hormones. · An Italian study (C. Baronti et al., Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 24, pp. 5059-66, 2001) found poor removal of some human hormones, e.g. estrone, in sewage treatment plants. The study also found detectable levels of human hormones in a major river (Tiber) receiving untreated or partially treated sewage.

• A Japanese study (M. Fujita et al., Water Science and Technology, vol. 42, pp. 23-30, 2001) confirmed effective removal of APEs in 40 sewage treatment plants, with very low levels of APE biodegradation products in sewage effluents, levels 100-1000 times lower than those required to cause estrogenic activity.

• A US study (S.A. Snyder et al., Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 35, pp. 3620-5, 2001) found natural and pharmaceutical human hormones were the major environmental estrogens in water samples from central Michigan and Lake Mead, Nevada. Alkylphenols, which have only weak estrogenic activity, contributed less than 0.5% of the estrogenic activity found in water.

   
  

  Site Map   ·   Feedback/Contact Us   ·   Members Only