A Water consumed in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas (RMC), where around 2,5 million people live, contains various types of compounds derived from pharmaceuticals, sexual hormones and industrial products. Some of these substances are classified as “endocrine disruptors”. This means that, when ingested in large concentrations or for a prolonged period of time, they can interfere with the functioning of the glands of animal species, including humans. The finding is part of the doctoral thesis recently defended by researcher Gislaine Ghiselli, from the Institute of Chemistry (IQ) at Unicamp, under the guidance of professor Wilson de Figueiredo Jardim.

Compounds present concentrations far above the limit

Entitled “Assessment of the Quality of Water Destined for Public Supply in the Campinas Region: Occurrence and Determination of Endocrine Interferents (IE) and Pharmaceutical and Personal Hygiene Products (PFHP)”, the study collected samples of raw water and drinking water for four years originating from the Atibaia River Sub-Basin, the main source used for public supply in the region. During this period, 21 compounds were monitored. Among these compounds, six are sex hormones, four are steroids derived from cholesterol, five are classified as pharmaceutical products and six have industrial origin.

The research revealed the presence of the following substances in the drinking water distributed to the population: diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, caffeine, bisphenol A, estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, progesterone and cholesterol. In principle, according to the author of the research, these compounds should not be present in the water consumed by the population. “Some were found in concentrations up to a thousand times greater than in European countries”, reports Gislaine.

This is the case, for example, of caffeine, present in food and pharmaceutical products. According to the study, this substance had an average concentration in drinking water of 3,3 micrograms per liter (µg/L). For cholesterol, the average obtained in drinking water was 2,4 µg/L. Other compounds also attracted attention, such as progesterone (1,5 µg/L), estradiol (2,4 µg/L) and ethinyl estradiol (1,6 µg/L), female sex hormones. Considering the average of 1 µg/L of female hormones in drinking water, by drinking two liters of water per day a person would be ingesting 60 µg of these compounds per month.

To collect drinking water, ten neighborhoods were selected in Campinas, covering the North, South, East, West and Central regions. “The compounds detected indicate that the treatments used in RMC's sewage treatment plants are not efficient in destroying these endocrine disruptors”, says Gislaine. “Consequently, these hormones are transported to surface waters, through the discharge of treated sewage, and reach drinking water because they are also resistant to treatments used in water treatment plants”, she adds.

Raw water – Raw water analyzes also revealed a worrying situation. Ribeirão Anhumas represents the most glaring case of pollution, with concentrations reaching 106 µg/L for caffeine, 301 µg/L for cholesterol and 41 µg/L for coprostanol. “In the case of caffeine, for example, the norm in developed countries like Germany is a maximum of 1 µg/L”, compares Jardim. In Atibaia, samples revealed significant concentrations of the drug diclofenac (5 µg/L) and the hormones estradiol (3 µg/L), ethinyl estradiol (1,7 µg/L) and progesterone (1,4 µg/L). For the assessment of raw water, five monitoring points were selected: three in Atibaia, one in Ribeirão Anhumas and one in Ribeirão Pinheiros.
One of the collection points in Atibaia is in the district of Sousas, exactly at the water collection site used by Sociedade de Abastecimento de Água e Saneamento S/A (Sanasa) for public supply, representing the raw water that supplies 95% of the population Campinas.

Both hormones and drugs are excreted through urine or feces, reaching rivers through the sewage system. According to Gislaine, the drugs detected are widely used as analgesics, anti-inflammatories and antipyretics. “Diclofenac, for example, is a powerful non-steroidal agent used to combat fever and to relieve pain in general, such as flu and in the treatment of rheumatism”, explains the researcher. Caffeine is one of the most consumed substances in the world and can be found in various products such as food (coffee, tea, yerba mate, guaraná powder, drinks such as cola soft drinks, condiments, etc.), tobacco, medications, among others.

In addition to drugs and hormones, the research also identified the presence of substances resulting from industrial activity, called anthropogenic. Among them, the highlight is phthalates. Derived from phthalic acid, they are basically used as plasticizers, as well as in the manufacture of paints, adhesives, cardboard, lubricants and fragrances. They have been used for over 40 years. According to Gislaine, phthalates can be introduced into the environment through leaching, especially from plasticizers used in the manufacture of commonly used plastics. Among the pollutants evaluated, both anthropogenic and hormones and drugs, there are substances considered endocrine disruptors.

The interferer – Science describes an endocrine disruptor as an exogenous chemical substance or mixture that alters one or more functions of the endocrine system, made up of several glands. They can be natural or synthetic. Natural hormones, which include estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are present in the human body and animals. Synthetic compounds include hormones identical to natural ones, manufactured by man and used as oral contraceptives or additives in animal feed, and xenoestrogens, produced for use in industries, agriculture and consumer goods. This category includes pesticides and plastic additives.

According to Gislaine Ghiselli, most ecotoxicological studies carried out to date show that the glands most affected by endocrine disruptors are related to the male (testicles) and female (ovaries) reproductive systems. “Evidence observed in molluscs, crustaceans, fish, reptiles, birds and some mammals has suggested that possible changes in human health involving the reproductive system, such as breast and testicular cancer, may be related to exposure to these substances”, he says. Gislaine.

The researcher explains that endocrine disruptors can act in at least three ways: imitating the action of a hormone naturally produced by the body, such as estrogen or testosterone, thus triggering similar chemical reactions in the body; blocking receptors on cells that receive hormones, thus preventing the action of natural hormones; and/or affecting the synthesis, transport, metabolism and excretion of natural hormones in the body.

No alarmism

Despite the identification of endocrine disruptors in drinking water, researchers are cautious when evaluating the possible consequences for the population. “The simple presence of a specific endocrine disruptor in the environment does not necessarily mean that there is a risk associated with it”, considers Gislaine Ghiselli. “Although it is already known that some of these substances, in high doses, interfere with the functioning of the glands, there are still no studies on the effects of chronic exposure”, adds Professor Wilson Jardim. According to them, the objective of the study is not to create alarmism, but rather to present a diagnosis of the water consumed in the region. Currently, Sanasa serves 98% of the urban population of Campinas with piped drinking water, through 5 treatment plants. As for the sewage system, Sanasa currently serves 86% of the urban population of Campinas, collecting 200 connections. “However, the biggest challenge is sewage treatment”, warns Jardim. Until the year 2000, practically all sewage collected was released untreated into the region's water bodies. It was only in 2001 that investments in this area began to be intensified, with the creation of the National River Basin Depollution Program. In January 2001, according to the study presented by Gislaine, the city of Campinas treated only 5% of its domestic sewage and, alone, accounted for half of the untreated sewage among the 19 municipalities in the Metropolitan Region. New investments raised this mark to 34%. The Campinas Sewage Master Plan foresees the treatment of 90% of the city's domestic sewage by 2008.