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CaseStudy3.1 EndocrineDisruptorsintheAquaticEnvironment
(Switzerland)
Although the potential for endocrine disruptors in the environment to adversely affect
humans, other animals and even entire ecosystems is well recognised, the chemical
and micro-pollutant flows within specific water courses has generally been less
well addressed. Recognising the need for such systematic analysis and modelling to
enable meaningful quality standards to be drawn up and appropriate impact-related
action plans to be implemented, the Swiss National Science Foundation undertook
a major research programme to investigate the issue, under the auspices of the
country's Federal Council.
The study found that endocrine disruptors presented a local and regional problem
for the aquatic environment within Switzerland. This was particularly apparent in
waters receiving domestic wastewater flows from treatment facilities either located
in densely populated regions or where discharge entered small streams and the
dilution effect was limited ( < 1 : 10).
A significant part of the work focused on the oestrogenic feminisation of fish,
examining the incidence of increased vitellogenin (Vg) levels in males as a key
bio-indicator. Vg is a precursor protein for egg yolk formation and thus normally
dormant in males, but when they are exposed to natural or synthetic oestrogens,
the Vg gene is expressed in a dose-dependent manner, making it a useful molecular
marker for exposure. The study revealed that elevated Vg was only a feature of
a minority of the water bodies investigated and then only in 'slight to moderate'
amounts. Perhaps most interestingly, there were no indications that the high lev-
els of gonadal irregularities reported in Lake Thun whitefish could be attributed
to endocrine disruptors, which obviously highlights the importance of such com-
prehensive studies in both long-term catchment area management and effective
environmental regulation.
Laboratory experiments have established that chronic exposure to endocrine
disruptors at environmentally relevant concentrations can produce developmen-
tal, growth and reproductive problems in a range of aquatic creatures, with fish
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