Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the Pearl River: Is There A Potential Hazard to Local Human Health?

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) serve as agents that could damage the endocrine systems in human bodies. The EDCs can be introduced into an aquatic system via physicochemical reactions by nature and anthropogenic activities mainly including pharmaceuticals and industrial discharges. Generally, concentrations of EDCs in the Pearl River fall in higher ranges than those in other lakes and rivers in China and around the world. The potential hazards of the EDCs in the Pearl River have been thoroughly assessed in the last two decades but not comprehensively compared. This review aimed to discuss the detected concentration levels of EDCs in the surface water and sediment of the Pearl River respectively and conducted the risk assessment for residents along the Pearl River. Among EDCs, six important groups of chemicals (estrone, 17β-estradiol, nonylphenol, octylphenol, bisphenol A, and triclosan) were selected for analysis in this review due to their environmental ubiquity and toxicity in the Pearl River. The risk assessment indicated there was no potential negative impact of target EDCs on human health via water ingestion.