Endocrine disruptor contaminants in water and their adverse effects in humans

Since the early 1990s the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and chemicals with hormone and hormone-like activity in the environment, has received considerable attention. There are approximately 150 distinct substances being suspected to act as endocrine disruptors. Anumber of endocrine disruptors have been detected in ground and drinking water. Endocrine disrupting compounds are of particular concern as these cannot only interfere with the natural production and metabolism of hormones in the body, but also represent a serious carcinogenic risk. The hormone-like action of drinking water contaminants could affect the proliferation and cell cycle of cells expressing hormone receptors. Moreover, hormone-like agents may modulate the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemotherapy.