Review: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (phenol and phthalates) in the South African environment: a need for more monitoring

Olujimi, Olanrewaju Olusoji; Fatoki, Olalekan S; Odendaal, James P; Okonkwo, Jonathan O.

doi:10.4314/wsa.v36i5.62001

Cited by 84 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 112 publications

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“…Lin et al (2013) recently characterised a broad range of volatile organic compounds from pit latrines in Africa, an important source of groundwater contamination in this region (Graham and Polizzotto 2013). Olujimi et al (2010) review the presence of phthalates and other endocrine disruption chemicals in the South African environment. Fatoki et al (2010) studied phthalates in surface water and found concentrations which gave cause for concern with diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) posing the greatest risk (range 0.3-2.78 mg/L).…”

Section: Micro-organic Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban groundwater quality in sub-Saharan Africa: current status and implications for water security and public health

et al. 2017

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Groundwater resources are important sources of drinking water in Africa, and they are hugely important in sustaining urban livelihoods and supporting a diverse range of commercial and agricultural activities. Groundwater has an important role in improving health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). An estimated 250 million people (40% of the total) live in urban centres across SSA. SSA has experienced a rapid expansion in urban populations since the 1950s, with increased population densities as well as expanding geographical coverage. Estimates suggest that the urban population in SSA will double between 2000 and 2030. The quality status of shallow urban groundwater resources is often very poor due to inadequate waste management and source protection, and poses a significant health risk to users, while deeper borehole sources often provide an important source of good quality drinking water. Given the growth in future demand from this finite resource, as well as potential changes in future climate in this region, a detailed understanding of both water quantity and quality is required to use this resource sustainably. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the water quality status, both microbial and chemical, of urban groundwater in SSA across a range of hydrogeological terrains and different groundwater point types. Lower storage basement terrains, which underlie a significant proportion of urban centres in SSA, are particularly vulnerable to contamination. The relationship between mean nitrate concentration and intrinsic aquifer pollution risk is assessed for urban centres across SSA. Current knowledge gaps are identified and future research needs highlighted.

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Section: Micro-organic Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban groundwater quality in sub-Saharan Africa: current status and implications for water security and public health

et al. 2017

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“…In addition, a large number of EDCs was found in upstream and downstream sections of wastewater treatment plants. 22,23 As a result of their adverse effects on humans and wildlife, EDCs are considered to be priority pollutants, and worldwide research is ongoing to develop remediation strategies to remove these chemicals from the environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation and characterisation of endocrine disruptor nonylphenol-using bacteria from South Africa

Qhanya¹,

Mthakathi²,

Boucher³

et al. 2017

S. Afr. J. Sci.

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Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic chemicals that alter the function of endocrine systems in animals including humans. EDCs are considered priority pollutants and worldwide research is ongoing to develop bioremediation strategies to remove EDCs from the environment. An understanding of indigenous microorganisms is important to design efficient bioremediation strategies. However, much of the information available on EDCs has been generated from developed regions. Recent studies have revealed the presence of different EDCs in South African natural resources, but, to date, studies analysing the capabilities of microorganisms to utilise/degrade EDCs have not been reported from South Africa. Here, we report for the first time on the isolation and enrichment of six bacterial strains from six different soil samples collected from the Mpumalanga Province, which are capable of utilising EDC nonylphenol as a carbon source. Furthermore, we performed a preliminary characterisation of isolates concerning their phylogenetic identification and capabilities to degrade nonylphenol. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that four isolates belonged to Pseudomonas and the remaining two belonged to Enterobacteria and Stenotrophomonas. All six bacterial species showed degradation of nonylphenol in broth cultures, as HPLC analysis revealed 41–46% degradation of nonylphenol 12 h after addition. The results of this study represent the beginning of identification of microorganisms capable of degrading nonylphenol, and pave the way for further exploration of EDC-degrading microorganisms from South Africa.

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“…Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been used to detect trace amounts of these pollutants in the environment (SchmitzAlfonso et al, 2003;Shao et al, 2005Shao et al, , 2007Moeder et al, 2006). The polarity of phenols affects their chromatographic resolution and usually results in broad or tailored peaks (Olujimi et al, 2010). A widely used instrumentation for the analysis of APEs in the environment has been GC after the derivatization of the hydroxyl group (Cathum & Sabik, 2001;Gatidou et al, 2007;Fiedler et al, 2007).…”

Section: Analysis Of Alkylphenol Ethoxylates In the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…APs have been classified together with lower ethoxylates (mono-tri), as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), because of their effects on the hormonal system of numerous organisms by competing with oestrogen for binding receptors (Gibble and Baer, 2003;Bonefeld-Jorgensen et al, 2007). Exposure to the aquatic ecosystem is of particular concern, since aquatic organisms are exposed to continual introduction of discharged effluents from wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) (Olujimi et al, 2010). Moreover, the polar and non-volatile nature of these compounds prevents their escape from the aquatic realm (Xu et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution, exposure pathways, sources and toxicity of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in the environment

Chokwe

Okonkwo

Sibali

2017

WSA

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Alkylphenols (APs) are ultimate breakdown products of alkylphenol polyethoxylate (APEs) that are used in cleaning and industrial processes. The most commonly used APEs in the market are the nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEs). As a result of their widespread use and their lipophilic nature, these compounds are ubiquitous in the environment and are currently of concern because of their toxicity, oestrogenic properties and widespread contamination. This review summarizes the concentrations of NPE and NP in different environmental media. The sources of NPE in the environment and toxicity are reviewed. Their distribution patterns in the environment as well as exposure pathways are discussed with a view to provide better understanding of these emerging environmental contaminants. It is envisaged that this review will heighten the importance of identifying emerging issues and data gaps, and generate a future research agenda on APEs.

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Review: Endocrine disrupting chemicals (phenol and phthalates) in the South African environment: a need for more monitoring

Cited by 84 publications

References 112 publications

Urban groundwater quality in sub-Saharan Africa: current status and implications for water security and public health

Urban groundwater quality in sub-Saharan Africa: current status and implications for water security and public health

Isolation and characterisation of endocrine disruptor nonylphenol-using bacteria from South Africa

Distribution, exposure pathways, sources and toxicity of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates in the environment

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