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The challenge of endocrine disruptors in freshwater
Summary
This OECD policy publication examines endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in freshwater as part of a series on emerging contaminants that also covers microplastics. It argues for complementing chemical-by-chemical regulation with effect-based monitoring approaches to better capture the cumulative hormonal disruption caused by mixtures of EDCs and other persistent pollutants in drinking and surface water.
This publication on endocrine disruption is part of a series on policy responses to contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in freshwater. Previous work focused on pharmaceutical residues and microplastics. Building on these earlier publications, this publication focuses on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in freshwater. This publication takes a different approach to water quality regulation: it explores the opportunity to complement a substance-by-substance approach of chemicals management with an effect-based approach, centred around the negative effects of EDCs on humans and wildlife. This chapter characterises the challenge of endocrine disruption in freshwater. It provides a typology of EDCs and their effects on human health, ecology and the economy. It also examines the sources, pathways and sinks of endocrine disrupting chemicals in freshwater. Lastly, this chapter provides an outlook of driversthat increase the future release of endocrine disrupting chemicals in freshwater.