The concentration of estrogen in water resources: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Water supplies are the main vehicle for exposing the human organism to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. To this date, several studies have identified the presence of some of these substances like estrogen in the water. This review aims to analyse the relevant data regarding the concentration of estrogen and its component in water resources samples. Methods: We searched the following databases: Scopus, Embase and Pubmed databases from January-2000 to December-2018. Meta-analysis was done on water type and water content. Results: Twelve paper and Twenty-eight studies out of one thousand five hundred sixty three retrieved citations one thousand five hundred sixty-three were included. The ranking of different estrogen species in water based on Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2), Estriol (E3) and Ethinylestradiol (EE2) concentration was E1 > E2 > EE2 > E3. The results also illustrate the lack of heterogeneity and presence of the investigated materials in different waters (Es, CI 95%: .38, .26-.51). These findings indicated that to prevent pollution, it is important to monitor and control the concentration of estrogen in water resources.