Overabundance of endocrine disruptors (EDs), such as steroid estrogens, in the natural environment disrupts hormone synthesis in aquatic organisms. Livestock and wastewater outflows contribute measurable quantities of steroid estrogens into the environment where they are picked up and transported via surface runoff and feedlot effluents into water matrices. E1, E2β, E2α, E3 and EE2 are the most prevalent estrogens in these environmental systems. Estrogens in soils and water undergo several concurrent attenuation processes including sorption to particles, biotransformation, photo-transformation, and plant uptake. This review summarizes current studies on the attenuation and transport of steroid estrogens with a focus on estrogen attenuation and transport modeling. The authors use this information to synthesize appropriate strategies for reducing estrogenicity in the environment.
Keywords: 17α-ethinyl estradiol; 17β-estradiol; Estriol; Estrone.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.