The ABC of EDCs: Building an armoury of knowledge

Abstract

EDCs E DCs can enter the water environment by direct discharge into water, the use of pharmaceuticals and chemicals in household and in agriculture and industry, accidental spills and releases of compounds and indirectly through diffuse sources, such as stormwater runoff. In turn, natural hormones, including estrogens, can be released into the environment via sewage effluent and from sources such as animal feedlots. Concerns over the potentially harmful effects of EDCs on humans and wildlife have been rising worldwide over the last two decades. In an attempt to answer some of these concerns the South African EDC Research Programme was initiated under the leadership of the Water Research Commission (WRC) in 1999. The main objective of this programme is to investigate the occurrence, magnitude and affect of EDCs in water systems and to determine to what extent the population and the environment are at risk by being exposed to these chemicals.

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