Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) and the Environment

2636 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of ocean pollution on marine ecosystems

INTRODUCTION The endocrine system of animals is a main source of bioregulatory compounds. Hormonal actions regulate all aspects of animal life: reproduction and development, digestion, metabolism, behavioural responses etc. (Hertenstein 2006, Norris 2007). Hormones and glands of vertebrate and invertebrate endocrine system differ in structure and function, but their main regulatory role remains conserved. However, the balance among the environmental clues, hormonal signals and organisms’ responses can be easily disturbed. One of the causes of this disturbance is the presence of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) in the environment. EDC’s are primarily man-made pollutants, structurally resembling natural hormones (Jenssen 2006) and interfering with hormonal function in a variety of ways. Some act as hormone agonists, binding to the receptors and preventing endogenous hormones from binding. An example of agonistic EDC is diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen (Newbold et al 2006). Antagonistic EDC’s, which include many herbicides, act as ligands, completely or partially inhibiting receptors (Lintelmann et al 2003). The third main group is responsible for altering the hormonal pathways and reducing the number of receptors (Depledge & Billinghurst 1999). Human activities releasing the most EDC’s into water, soil and air include metal and crude oil processing, plastic, pharmaceuticals and food manufacturing, and use of pesticides and fertilizers to increase agricultural productivity (Rhind 2009). A rapid increase in human population, expansion of human settlement and technological advances lead to a surge in environmental pollution and bioaccumulation of the pollutants in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Many EDC’s ... ... middle of paper ... ...ealth in Greenland: a review. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 54(Suppl.1):S15 Söffker M, Tyler CR (2012) Endocrine disrupting chemicals and sexual behaviors in fish – a critical review on effects and possible consequences. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 42(8), 653-668 Tavira-Mendoza L, Ruby S, Brousseau P, Fournier M, Cyr D, Marcogliese D (2002) Response of the amphibian tadpole (Xenopus laevis) to atrazine during sexual differentiation of the testis. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol.21, no.3, 527-531 Wu RSS (1999) Eutrophication, Water Borne Pathogens and Xenobiotic Compounds: Environmental Risks and Challenges. Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol.39, nos. 1-12, 11-22 Zhou J, Cai ZH, Zhu XS (2009) Are Endocrine Disruptors Among the Causes of the Deterioration of Aquatic Biodiversity? Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, Vol. 6, No. 3, 492–498

Show More
Related

  • Hypovolemic Shock Case Study

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    While the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are most reliant on one another, all body systems require a functioning circulatory cycle in order to thrive. Blood circulation and consistent transfer of oxygen to cells is required to maintain cell and tissue life. Disturbances to this process will cause cells and tissues to die (Red Cross 48). This state of balance and functioning body systems is referred to as homeostasis, defined as a “condition of equilibrium in the body’s internal environment due to constant interaction of body’s many regulatory processes” (Tortura 8). Changes or disruptions to homeostasis are regulated by the Endocrine and Nervous systems of the body. The endocrine system is made up of glands placed throughout the body

    Read More

  • Environmental Economic Impact of Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay

    2754 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary with six major tributaries, the James, the Potomac, the Susquehanna, the Patuxent, the York, and the Rappahannock Rivers, feeding into the bay from various locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia (Chemical Contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay – Workshop Discussion 1). These areas depend on the Bay as both an environmental and an economic resource. Throughout the last 15 years the Chesapeake Bay has suffered from elevated levels of pollution. Nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater treatment plants, farmland, air pollution, and development all lead to reduced water clarity and lowered oxygen levels, which harm fish, crabs, oysters and underwater grasses (Key Commission Issues 1). There are other types of pollution in the bay such as toxic chemicals, but because nutrient pollution is the most significant and most widespread in the Bay its effects are the most harmful to fisheries. Nitrogen and phosphorous fuel algal blooms which cloud the water and block sunlight from reaching underwater grass beds that provide food and habitat for waterfowl, juvenile fish, blue crabs, and other species (Blankenship 11-12). Algae plays a vital role in the food chain by providing food for small fish and oysters. However, when there is an overabundance of algae it dies, sinks to the bottom of the Bay, and decomposes in such a manner that depletes the oxygen levels of the Bay (11). The reduced oxygen levels in the Bay reduce the carrying capacity of the environment and these “dead areas” sometimes kill off species that can not migrate to other areas of the Bay, such as oysters (11). Increased abundance of algal blooms also led to the overabundance of harmful and toxic algae species and microbes such as the microbe Pfiesteria, which was responsible in 1997 for eating fish alive and making dozens of people sick (12). The heightened awareness of diseases that can be contracted through consumption of contaminated fish also has an economic impact. Therefore, the excess levels of nitrogen and phosphorous have fueled an overabundance of algal blooms, which has reduced water clarity and lowered oxygen levels, affecting many species within the bay and ultimately the industries that rely on these species.

    Read More

  • Oklahoma Fish Kill Study: Looking for a Toxic Needle in an Environmental Haystack

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    Acknowledgements: Slides of dead fish courtesy of OKDEQ. We would like to thank our students Trevor Nance Jr, and Matt Ward for their help in the laboratory sample preparations. We would also like to thank OKDEQ (Chris Armstrong) and EPA Region 6 (Rick McMillin) for their patience.

    Read More

  • The North American Brine Shrimp

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the early development process of many organisms, it is important to be able to minimize exposure to agents of stunted or arrested development. By decreasing the mortality rate for a generation of a species, that species is given an advantage in later reproduction; by increasing the number of organisms of the same species within a limited environment, more organisms of the same species are able to reproduce, resulting in an augmented overall population ("Reproduction and Development", 2013). However, when toxins are introduced to an environment, an embryo’s viability can decrease. Mortality rates for the generation of the species can increase, and defects that are harmful to the reproductive cycle can emerge. Thus, it is necessary to measure and observe the effects of certain toxins on embryonic development. The North American brine shrimp, or Artemia Franciscana (Artemia Salina), is subject to changes in its environment. Toxins introduced to its hatching environment, such as ethanol (in concentrations of 0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.2%), can have significant impact for the hatching process and embryonic development. The experiment sought to explore the relationship between birth defects and exposure to ethanol at early developmental stages through the use of American brine shrimp. However, to be able to fully comprehend the impact that certain toxins would have on the embryonic development of the North American brine shrimp, it is first important to be versed in its specific hatching process.

    Read More

  • Is it Ethical to Use Growth Hormones on Cattle?

    2433 Words  | 5 Pages

    “High levels of hormones can cause problems in the human body, but can hormones we ingest really alter our hormone level...

    Read More

  • Chesapeake Bay Essay

    2016 Words  | 5 Pages

    The bay's harvest and many of its other attractions bring tourists and in turn revenue for the area. Oysters and blue crab are a big part of the culture in the bay area. However, these organisms are in danger and need help. Description of the problem Eutrophication is a concern in the Chesapeake Bay. Eutrophication is caused by excessive amounts of nutrients.

    Read More

  • Endocrine Disruption

    2630 Words  | 6 Pages

    Endocrine disrupters are chemical agents that produce reversible or irreversible effects in individuals or populations by interfering with hormone function.

    Read More

  • Dangerous Chmicals in Slow Death by Rubber Duck

    1249 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ross, P. R., Jeffries, S. J., Yunker, M. B., Ikonomou, M. G., & Calambokidis, J. C. (2004). Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, USA, reveal a combination of local and global polychlorinated biphenyl, dioxin, and furan signals. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 23(1), 157-165. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1897/03-85/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

    Read More

  • Endocrine Pollulation Essay

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...et al. (2011). Using fluorescent imaging, the researchers found evidence of abnormal vascularization, neuron branching, and neuromast cell development in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to the known endocrine disruptor during early life stages. Aluru et al. (2010) determined that maternal exposure to BPA can cause multiple adverse effects on developing offspring. Unfertilized rainbow trout eggs were treated with three different concentrations, fertilized, and resulting juveniles were observed throughout development. Aluru et al. (2010) concluded that oocyte exposure to BPA leads to modified stress performance, delayed hatching times, and growth suppression in juvenile rainbow trout. The following image is taken from Aluru et al. (2010), showing both the decrease in body size and production of yolk observed in juvenile rainbow trout hatched from BPA-exposed oocytes.

    Read More

  • Endocrine Disruptors

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    Evidence provided to support these claims of human and wildlife harm is largely from laboratory studies in which large doses are fed to test animals, usually rats or mice, and field studies of wildlife species that have been exposed to the chemicals mentioned above. In laboratory studies, high doses are required to give weak hormone activity. These doses are not likely to be encountered in the environment. However the process of bioaccumulation can result in top-level predators such as humans to have contaminants at levels many million times greater than the environmental background levels (Guilette 1994). In field studies, toxicity caused by endocrine disruption has been associated with the presence of certain pollutants. Findings from such studies include: reproductive disruption in starfish due to PCBs, bird eggshell thinning due to DDT, reproductive failure in mink, small penises in alligators due to DDT and dicofol (Guillette 1994, Colburn et al 1996). In addition, a variety of reproductive problems in many other species are claimed to be associated with environmental contamination although the specific causative agents have not been determined. One recent discovery that complicates the situation is that there are many naturally occurring "phytoestrogens", or chemicals of plant origin that exhibit weak estrogenic properties.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Ocean Pollution on the Environment

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Ocean Pollution." MarineBio Conservation Society ~ Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures, Biodiversity, Research... Web. 19 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Red Tides

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bruckner, Monica. “Red Tide- A Harmful Algae Bloom.” Microbial Life, 2014. Web. 24 May, 2014. http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/redtide/index.html

    Read More

  • Eutrophication

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eutrophication of bodies of water is a naturally occurring phenomenon. However, the process has been aggravated by the human population. Such man-made eutrophication is caused by excessive discharge of nutrien...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Pesticides

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a study conducted by the University of London’s Centre for Toxicology, 30 out of 37 commonly used pesticides have been tested to block or mimic male hormones (Cone). This blockage can affect testosterone levels negatively as well as other androgens produced within a male’s body causing serious health concerns with fertilization, hair loss, and low sex drive. The study also discovered that certain pesticides that are used within today’s agriculture can, “…activate or inhibit hormone receptors in cells that turn genes on and off” (Cone). Therefore, fetuses and infants can be at high risk when exposed in the womb or through breast milk since the hormones being turned on or off control masculinization of the reproductive tract. Overall, pesticides seem like they are doing more harm to human’s health then they are at keeping crops healthy and should be eliminated from modern agriculture

    Read More

  • Causes of Obesity

    1205 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine conditions. It affects about 5 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age14. Women who have PCOS often suffer from high levels of hormones called androgens – a steroid hormone that regulates the development of male characteristics-14. This syndrome results in obesity, excessive hair growth, reproductive problems and other health issues.

    Read More

More about Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) and the Environment

Open Document