Effects of Estrogen on the Environment

Abstract

A very major and serious concern nowadays is that estrogen has become one of the most emerging pollutants. The three types of estrogens namely Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3), pose serious threats to plants, different sources like water, and also to humans worldwide. In past some years, they have gained attention due to rapid increase in soil and water concentration throughout the world. There have been great concerns over estrogen pollution that has been expressed. The major problem is that when estrogen enters the food chain of human, the plants metabolizes and uptake the estrogen. There are many sites where estrogens are detected above polluting levels close to facilities where wastewater treatment plants are present and even in groundwater. The estrogen pollution has also been liked and related to diseases like breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Estrogen at polluting levels also affects animals. The various studies have proved that they destroy physiology of fishes and also their reproductive functions and development. The estrogen pollution mainly disturbs aquatic life of organisms. The roots and shoots of plants are also affected by high levels of estrogen.