Sources and Effects of Endocrine Disruptors and Other Contaminants of Emerging Concern in the Southern California Bight Coastal Ecosystem.

摘要

Thousands of chemicals are in daily use for which little is known about their fate and effects on aquatic life. These compounds include pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), current use pesticides (CUPs), natural and synthetic hormones, and industrial and commercial compounds (ICCs). Collectively known as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), many of these compounds are discharged into coastal waters from point and nonpoint sources and have the potential to cause adverse biological effects. There is little information to assess the ecological impacts of CECs, partly because environmental monitoring programs usually focus on priority pollutants such as trace metals, chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbons that historically contaminated coastal waters. Concern over the environmental impacts of CECs has increased in recent years as a result of studies showing their common occurrence in waste discharges and receiving waters, and instances of biological effects such as endocrine disruption on fish and wildlife associated with some CECs. Over a billion gallons of treated municipal wastewater are discharged into southern California coastal waters every day. These discharges represent a potentially significant source of CEC exposure for marine life. However, only limited information is available regarding the types, concentrations, and fate of CECs discharged to the Southern California Bight (SCB) from treated wastewater discharges and their potential for ecological impacts.