Three major, related groups of potential contaminants have gained attention
in recent years, with acronyms familiar to most everyone in the drinking water
industry: EDCs, PhACs, and PCPs. These acronyms stand for endocrine-disrupting
compounds (EDCs), pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), and personal care
products (PCPs), respectively.
Endocrine disrupting compounds, by definition, are chemicals that interfere
with the synthesis, transport, and/or action of natural hormones responsible
for the reproduction, development, and/or behavior of an organism. EDCs also
are contained in anthropogenic substances such as detergent, pesticides (a
category that includes herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides), plasticizers,
natural and synthetic hormones, among many other substances. Potential EDCs
are contained in natural agricultural products such as soybeans, alfalfa, and
natural hormones in animals.
The term pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) encompasses some of the
hormone-based compounds already noted as EDCs, and includes antibiotics, anti-epileptic
medications, heart medications, pain medications, and cancer medications generally
used to treat symptoms rather than underlying disease. This category also covers
veterinarian drugs and feed additives used for livestock.
Personal care products (PCPs) refer to common, anthropogenic products such
as shampoos, fragrances, over-the-counter medications, and herbal remedies.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and other entities
have also begun referring to the latter two categories as PPCPs – pharmaceuticals
and personal care products.
All three categories contain compounds with specific, discreet attributes,
yet due to their nature a number of these compounds belong in both categories.
EDCs, PhACs, and PCPs come from many different classes of chemicals. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has estimated that approximately
87,000 compounds may need to be evaluated.
Occurrence surveys reflect that these substances are entering public water
supplies in trace quantities via natural processes, non-point source pollution
such as agricultural runoff, and wastewater treatment effluent. Because some
of these compounds have been suspected in developmental and reproductive changes
in fish and amphibians, and there is evidence that mammals may be sensitive
to extremely low concentrations of hormones, EDCs, PhACs, and PCPs are under
study for possible health effects by USEPA. To date, however, there is no firm
evidence for a causal association between low-level exposure to EDCs and adverse
human health outcomes.
According to the USEPA's Web site, "there simply is not sufficient evidence
to warrant regulation [at this time]; certain representative PPCPs, however,
might prove appropriate to eventually add to the USEPA Office of Water's Drinking
Water Contaminant Candidate List." (See the question-and-answer below
on regulatory issues.)
In the Foundation's own research effort, initiated in 1999 with an expert workshop
on research issues, the Foundation has surveyed the literature, gathered and
analyzed occurrence data, and assessed analytical methods and treatment options.
The Foundation has issued a number of reports and in 2005 has at least a half-dozen
studies currently underway.
Specifically, the Foundation's research is focused on
- providing drinking water utilities with the guidance and tools utility
managers need to assess EDCs, PhACs, and PCPs in their own water supplies
("methods development"),
- evaluate treatment options,
- understand these compounds' potential toxicological implications, and
- how utilities can communicate effectively with the public on the topic.
The world-wide occurrence of EDCs in water supplies led the Global Water Research
Coalition (GWRC) – a coalition of 14 international research organizations,
of which the Foundation is a founding member – to select EDCs as its first "priority
issue" in 2002 for its collaborative research program. The GWRC has issued
a half-dozen reports on its findings since 2003, available
here to Foundation subscribers.