Research scientists all over the world are highlighting the challenges that Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) are causing.
Is their message getting through to the rest of us? We suggest that you take time to follow up on the research papers below and inform yourself as to the seriousness of EDCs.
What follows below is a sample of what research scientists are doing in South Africa, followed by a small sample of research taking place in Africa and an even smaller sample of what is being researched in the rest of the world.
If you are a non-scientist and are looking for an introduction into the world of EDCs, we highly recommend the book Count Down by Shanna H. Swan PhD. (Watch this Interview on YouTube: Dr. Shanna Swan on How Plastics in Food are Affecting Our Hormone Levels
Local (South African based studies)
Laboratory Studies
1. Patrick SM. Effects of environmental endocrine disruptors, including insecticides used for malaria vector control on reproductive parameters of male rats. Reprod Toxicol. 2016 Jun;61:19-27. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2016.02.015.
Environmental Studies
1. Adriana Fernandes Veludo, et al 2022. Seasonal variations in air concentrations of 27 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 25 current-use pesticides (CUPs) across three agricultural areas of South Africa. Chemosphere. 2022; 289, 133162.
2. Fuhrimann S et al. Pesticide Research on Environmental and Human Exposure and Risks in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.; 2022; 19(1):259.
3. Céline Degrendele et al. Current use pesticides in soil and air from two agricultural sites in South Africa: Implications for environmental fate and human exposure. Science of The Total Environment. 2022; 807, Part 1, 150455.
4. Farounbi A Et al. Occurrence of selected endocrine disrupting compounds in the eastern cape province of South Africa Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 May;27(14):17268-17279. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-08082-y. Epub 2020 Mar 9.
5. Olaniyan LWB et al. Determination and ecological risk assessment of two endocrine disruptors from River Buffalo, South Africa. Environ Monit Assess. 2020 Nov 6;192(12):750. doi: 10.1007/s10661-020-08717-0
6. Khalid Muzamil Gani et al. Ecotoxicological risk evaluation and regulatory compliance of endocrine disruptor phthalates in a sustainable wastewater treatment scheme. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Mar;27(8):7785-7794. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-07418-
7. I Horak et al. Agrochemicals in freshwater systems and their potential as endocrine disrupting chemicals: A South African context. Environ Pollut. 2021 Jan 1;268(Pt A):115718. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115718
8. CR Ohoro et al. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environmental systems: a review. J Environ Health Sci Eng. 2021 Apr 15;19(1):1229-1247. doi: 10.1007/s40201-021-00656-3
9. LWB Olaniyan et al. Environmental Water Pollution, Endocrine Interference and Ecotoxicity of 4-tert-Octylphenol: A Review. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol. 2020;248:81-109. doi: 10.1007/398_2018_20.
10. Fuhrimann S et al. Qualitative assessment of 27 current-use pesticides in air at 20 sampling sites across Africa. Chemosphere;2020: 258: 1273.
11. Curchod L et al. Temporal variation of pesticide mixtures in rivers of three agricultural watersheds during a major drought in the Western Cape, South Africa. Water Research X; 2020; 6: 100039.
12. Dalvie, M.A et al. Contamination of rural surface and ground water by endosulfan in farming areas of the Western Cape, South Africa, Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source. 2003; 2:1
13. Arukwe A et al. Developmental alterations and endocrine-disruptive responses in farmed Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) exposed to contaminants from the Crocodile River, South Africa. Aquat Toxicol. 2016 Apr;173:83-93. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.12.027.
14. Olaniyan LWB. Triclosan in water, implications for human and environmental health. Springerplus. 2016 Sep 21;5(1):1639. doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-3287-x. eCollection 2016.
15. De Bruin W et al. Occurrence, fate and toxic effects of the industrial endocrine disrupter, nonylphenol, on plants - A review Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2019 Oct 15;181:419-427. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.06.009. Epub 2019 Jun 18.
16. Ojemaye CY et al. Occurrences, levels and risk assessment studies of emerging pollutants (pharmaceuticals, perfluoroalkyl and endocrine disrupting compounds) in fish samples from Kalk Bay harbour, South Africa. Environ Pollut. 2019 Sep;252(Pt A):562-572. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.05.091. Epub 2019 May 24.
17. Ohoro CR et al. Distribution and Chemical Analysis of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) in the Environmental Systems: A Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Aug 21;16(17):3026. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16173026.
18. Manickum T et al. Occurrence, fate and environmental risk assessment of endocrine disrupting compounds at the wastewater treatment works in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa). Sci Total Environ. 2014 Jan 15;468-469:584-97. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.041.
19. Wooding M et al. Determination of endocrine disrupting chemicals and antiretroviral compounds in surface water: A disposable sorptive sampler with comprehensive gas chromatography - Time-of-flight mass spectrometry and large volume injection with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A. 2017 May 5;1496:122-132. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2017.03.057.
20. Bornman M S Et al. Environmental pollutants and diseases of sexual development in humans and wildlife in South Africa: harbingers of impact on overall health? Reprod Domest Anim. 2012 Aug;47 Suppl 4:327-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2012.02094.x.
21. Sibanda T et al. Urban effluent discharges as causes of public and environmental health concerns in South Africa's aquatic milieu. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2015 Dec;22(23):18301-17. doi: 10.1007/s11356-015-5416-4.
22. Truter JC et al. An evaluation of the endocrine disruptive potential of crude oil water accommodated fractions and crude oil contaminated surface water to freshwater organisms using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Environ Toxicol Chem. 2017 May;36(5):1330-1342. doi: 10.1002/etc.3665.
23. Archer E. The fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine disrupting contaminants (EDCs), metabolites and illicit drugs in a WWTW and environmental waters. Chemosphere. 2017 May;174:437-446. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.101.
Human Exposure Studies
1. Regina Ntsubise Molomo et al. Relation between organophosphate pesticide metabolite concentrations with pesticide exposures, socio-economic factors and lifestyles: A cross-sectional study among school boys in the rural western cape, South Africa. Environmental Pollution; 2021 275:116660.
2. Dalvie MA,te al . Urinary dialkyl phosphate levels before and after first season chlorpyrifos spraying amongst farm workers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part B- Pesticides Food Contaminants and Agricultural Wastes. 2011 46 (2), 163-172
3. Dalvie MA, et al . Pesticide exposure and blood endosulfan levels after first season spray amongst farm workers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B. 2009 44(3):271-7
4. Dalvie MA et al. Exploration of different methods for measuring DDT exposure amongst malaria vector control workers in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Environmental Research. 2004; 96(1):20-27.
5. Samuel Fuhrimann,et al. Quantitative assessment of multiple pesticides in silicone wristbands of children/guardian pairs living in agricultural areas in South Africa, Science of The Total Environment, 2022,812, 152330.
Effect On Human Health
1. English RG,et al. Farm residence and reproductive health among boys in rural South Africa. Environ Int. 2012 47C:73-79.
2. M S Bornman et al. EDCs and male urogenital cancers. Adv Pharmacol. 2021;92:521-553. doi: 10.1016/bs.apha.2021.05.004.
3. Chetty-Mhlanga S, et al. Association of activities related to pesticide exposure on headache severity and neurodevelopment of school-children in the rural agricultural farmlands of the Western Cape of South Africa. Environ Int.2021;146:106237.doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106237.
4. Chetty-Mhlanga S, et al. A prospective cohort study of school-going children investigating reproductive and neurobehavioral health effects due to environmental pesticide exposure in the Western Cape, South Africa: study protocol. BMC Public Health.2018;18(1):857.doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5783-0
5. Dalvie MA. Reproductive health effects of contemporary pesticides used in South Africa. 2014. Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment 18(12).
6. Ochieng AA, et al . The relationship between indices of environmental exposure to pesticides and anthropometric outcomes of boys in the rural Western Cape in South Africa. SAMJ 2013; 103 (12) 942-947.DOI: 7196/SAMJ.6942
7. Dalvie MA, Myers JE. 2006. The relationship between reproductive outcome measures in DDT exposed malaria vector control workers: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 1:21. DOI:10.1186/1745-6673-1-21.
8. Dalvie MA, Myers JE, Thompson Mary Lou, Robins TG, Dyer S. 2004. The hormonal effects of long term DDT exposure on malaria vector control workers in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Environmental Research ; 96(1):9-19.
9. Dalvie MA, Myers JE, Thompson Mary Lou, Robins TG, Dyer S, Riebow J, Molekwa J, Jeebhay M, Millar R, Kruger P. 2004. The long-term effects of DDT exposure on semen, fertility and sexual function of malaria vector control workers in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Environmental Research. 96(1):1-8.
10. Willems M, Dalvie MA, London L, Rother HA. 2016. Health Risk Perception Related to Fracking in the Karoo, South Africa. Environmental Practice; 18: 1-16.
11. M.A. Dalvie. 2013. DDT: Health Effects, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.02152-7.
12. Dalvie MA. 2009. Environmental health risks due to hormonally active chemicals (Editorial). Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment. 13(2):3-4.
13. Gounden V et al. A pilot study: Relationship between Bisphenol A, Bisphenol A glucuronide and sex steroid hormone levels in cord blood in A South African population. Reprod Toxicol. 2021 Mar;100:83-89. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.01.004.
14. Makene VW et al. The Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals on Biomarkers of Inflammation Produced by Lipopolysaccharide Stimulated RAW264.7 Macrophages. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Aug 14;16(16):2914. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16162914.
15. Genthe B Et al. Health risk implications from simultaneous exposure to multiple environmental contaminants. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2013 Jul;93:171-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.03.032.