D10: Impact of Contaminants - Hydromod

Integrated Water Resource Management for Important Deep European Lakes and their Catchment Areas
EUROLAKES
D10: Impact of Contaminants
Table of Contents
FP5_Contract No.: EVK1-CT1999-00004
Version: 4.0
Date: 25/07/01
File: D10-vers.4.0.doc
Page 4 of 136
1 Executive Summary.............................................................................................. 2
2 Introduction........................................................................................................... 6
3 Background .......................................................................................................... 8
3.1 THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM........................................................................................................... 8
3.2 CURRENT HANDLING OF THE EDC PROBLEM IN THE EUROPEAN UNION ........................................... 9
4 The Endocrine System ....................................................................................... 20
4.1 THE FUNCTION OF HORMONES..................................................................................................... 20
4.2 THE FUNCTIONING OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS ........................................................................... 21
5 Background Information to Materials with a Putative Endocrine Impact............. 22
6 Methods of Determining the Endocrine Effect of Substances ............................ 25
6.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 25
6.2 TESTING STRATEGIES .................................................................................................................. 30
6.3 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ............................................................................................................. 32
6.4 OUTLOOK.................................................................................................................................... 37
6.5 ECOTOXICOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT....................................................................................... 39
7 Impacts of Hormonal Active Chemicals to Humans and Animals....................... 43
7.1 THE HAZARDOUSNESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS ............................................................... 43
7.2 SUBSTANCES AND GROUP OF SUBSTANCES WITH A PUTATIVE ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING ABILITY ...... 44
7.3 TOXIC EFFECTS TO AQUATIC ORGANISMS .................................................................................... 51
8 Ecotoxicology ..................................................................................................... 53
8.1 BEHAVIOUR OF CHEMICALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT......................................................................... 53
8.2 REDUCTION OF FOREIGN SUBSTANCES BY MICRO-ORGANISMS ..................................................... 54
9 Level of Pollution in Water and Sediment .......................................................... 58
9.1 TRANSPORT AND ACTION OF TRANSPORT IN WATER ...................................................................... 58
10 The Catchment Areas......................................................................................... 61
10.1 CATCHMENT AREA OF LAKE CONSTANCE (BODENSEE)............................................................... 62
10.2 CATCHMENT AREA OF LAKE GENEVA (LAC LÉMAN)..................................................................... 70
10.3 THE CATCHMENT AREA OF BOURGET LAKE (LAC DU BOURGET).................................................. 80
10.4 CATCHMENT AREA OF LOCH LOMOND........................................................................................ 84
10.5 SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION AT THE LAKES .............................................................................. 89
11 Elimination of Contaminants............................................................................... 90
11.1 PROCESSES TO ELIMINATE CONTAMINANTS FROM WASTEWATER................................................ 91
11.2 SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK......................................................................................................... 105
11.3 PROCESSES TO ELIMINATE CONTAMINANTS FROM SOURCES FOR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY........ 105
11.4 SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK......................................................................................................... 115
12 Outlook and Recommendations with respect to hazardous substances .......... 116
13 Abbreviations.................................................................................................... 118