APS grupo 2 FQ 1

Quim. Nova, Vol. 30, No. 3, 695-706, 2007

Gislaine Ghiselli e Wilson F. Jardim*
Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, CP 6154, 13081-970 Campinas - SP, Brasil
Recebido em 6/4/06; aceito em 3/7/06; publicado na web em 7/2/07

Divulgação

INTERFERENTES ENDÓCRINOS NO AMBIENTE

ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. Although the hypothesis that environmental chemicals may exhibit endocrine disrupting effects is not new, the issue has been a growing level of concern due to reports of increased incidences of endocrine-related disease in humans, including declining male fertility, and more significantly, to adverse physiological effects observed in wildlife where cause and effect relationships are more evident. The list of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) includes a range of anthropogenic compounds, phytoestrogens, naturally occurring sex steroids and synthetic estrogens. Within the aquatic environment, the presence of
EDCs has concerned many scientists and water quality regulators. Discharge of effluents from treatment facilities is likely to be a significant source of input of contaminants to many systems, and the potential for concentration of hydrophilic compounds and transformation products within sludges has implications for their disposal. Then, understanding the processes and the fate of EDCs on the environment, as well as the mechanisms of endocrine disruption, may facilitate controlling or limiting exposure of both humans and the environment to these compounds. Keywords: endocrine disruptors; physicochemical properties; sources.

INTRODUÇÃO
Os modelos de desenvolvimento adotados pelo homem para a agricultura, a pecuária, a indústria e os centros urbanos não têm levado em conta, há muito tempo, o meio ambiente. Como resultado, diversos problemas ambientais surgem a cada momento, muitos deles praticamente irreversíveis e de extrema relevância. Como exemplo, pode-se citar as conseqüências ambientais da expansão do uso de produtos químicos