17 α- metiltestosterona, principais aplicações e ameaças ao meio ambiente

Abstract

Population growth triggers in food industries a search for mass production technologies using compounds that pollute the environment. CONAMA and the Ministry of Health, responsible for the control of water bodies, effluents and quality control of water for human consumption, do not set limits for these organic pollutants. One example is 17α-methyltestosterone, a hormone used to masculinize Nile tilapia, genetically altering males phenotypically. Endocrine disruptors such as 17α-methyltestosterone can damage health, affecting the growth and reproduction of organisms (MORAES et al., 2008), and may persist in the environment and organisms, leading to impairment of food chains due to bioaccumulation (MREMA et al., 2013). According to Bila and Dezotti (2007), several effects can be triggered by exposure to endocrine disruptors, such as problems in the reproductive system in animals and cancer in humans. Different 17α-methyltestosterone hormone quantification and removal techniques, such as advanced oxidative processes, nanofiltration systems and wetlands, have been developed in order to minimize impacts on the environment, biota and human beings, in the search for a balance of productivity and of sustainability. The objective of this work was to carry out a bibliographical research on the endocrine disruptor 17α-methyltestosterone, including a characterization, its occurrence in the environment, possible effects on biota and human health.