Monday, October 22, 2007 : 9:00 a.m.
Relative Risk Assessment of Estrogenic Compounds in Water
A great deal of concern has arisen regarding the detection of trace estrogens in water. Fish living in wastewater outfalls have shown evidence of exposure to estrogenic chemicals. Cellular bioassays are commonly employed to rapidly and sensitively measure the estrogenic potency of water. Phytoestrogens are natural estrogens produced by plants. Certain plant products, such as soy sauce and green tea, contain phytoestrogens. This study sought to investigate the prevalence and magnitude of estrogenicity in reuse water and in common food products. A series of reuse facilities using various treatment processes were evaluated. Treated reuse water often contained measurable estrogenicity expressed as estradiol equivalents (EEQs). However, the estrogenicity of a single serving of soy sauce was found to be over 50-fold more potent than the most estrogenic reuse water tested. High concentrations of phytoestrogens were detected in soy sauce, green tea, soy milk, and even cow milk. This study shows that the estrogenicy as determined by an estrogen-specific in vitro bioassay is far greater in common dietary items than in reuse water. Cows milk specifically contained estrogens and progesterones at orders of magnitude higher concentrations found in primary treated wastewater. The study also demonstrated that ozone can be used to effectively eliminate estrogenicity in reuse water systems.
Shane A. Snyder, Southern Nevada Water Authority Shane Snyder received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Thiel College in Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology and Zoology from Michigan State University. Much of his research has focused on the fate, transport, and treatment of emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disrupting compounds, perchlorate, and pharmaceuticals. Since 1997, he has conducted research at Lake Mead, Nevada relating to endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals in water and sediments. Dr. Snyder has published several manuscripts and book chapters on the detection and treatment of endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals in water.
Dawn Lei, Ph.D., Southern Nevada Water Authority Graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a PhD in environmental engineering. Pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Oklahoma studying aqueous phase behavior of natural organic matter. Joined R&D in Southern Nevada Water Authority in June of 2005, specializing in pharmaceuticals and EDCs control, and disinfection byproduct formation and control in drinking water treatment. Major research areas: disinfection byproduct formation and mechanism, pharmaceuticals and EDCs in drinking water, computer modeling of DBP formation, and QSAR study of environmental contaminants.
Jocelyn Hemming, Ph.D., Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene Jocelyn Hemming received a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is currently an Associate Scientist at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene in Madison, Wisconsin. Much of her research has focused on monitoring endocrine active chemicals using in vitro bioassays. She has published several manuscripts and reports on this topic.
6th International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Enocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Water