A review on distribution and monitoring of hormones in the environment and their removal in wastewater treatment systems

Steroid hormones of the Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDC) are steroid hormones, which cause negative effects on human health, animals and ecosystems balance, have become a major concern in modern societies. In recent years numerous studies have performed on hormone distribution in the environment, especially in aquatic environments and the ways that they have been removed. Hormones entrance into the environment primarily is through wastewater, municipal wastewater treatment sludge, hospital wastewater and livestock activity. Measured values in the wastewater treatment influent, livestock lagoons, surface water and groundwater, showed different concentrations of hormones in the range of ng/L. But it is important to know even in trace concentration of ng/L, hormones can have adverse effects on environment. By biodegradation, biosorption and biotransformation, hormones will be degraded and their activities will be decreased. Wastewater treatment processes includes preliminary, primary, secondary and advanced treatment, that are the most important ways to prevent the entrance of hormonal compounds to the environment. Sludge should be cleaned by available technology before entering the environment. Wastewater processes in both liquid and sludge phase, under various operating conditions, show different range of hormones removal. In this paper authors try to discuss about the problem and different environmental aspects of hormones.