ABSTRACT
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and other pollutants, have a variety of sources. These sources have implications for human exposure, effects in wildlife, and effects or accumulation within the environment. Many EDCs have been found to be ubiquitous in the environment. Generally, sources of pollution fall into two categories: Point and Nonpoint sources. A point source is a definitive point of entry of a pollutant into an environmental medium. It could be an effluent discharge pipe, a storm-water overflow, or a known point where waste is repeatedly dumped. In a river system, sewage treatment works tend to constitute the main sources of pollution. This fact illustrates the success of the authorities and regulatory bodies in minimizing other sources. Agricultural sources are potentially the most dangerous because they are nonpoint sources, and percolation through soils into the groundwater can occur over wide areas. Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons are formed from both natural and anthropogenic sources, largely by the incomplete combustion of organic materials.
