The Project 2012

The Problem

The pollution of drinking water and wastewater, as well as natural waters by endocrine disruptors is steadily increasing and can only inadequately be filtered by sewage treatment plants. Municipal and industrial wastewaters contain a variety of pollutants, such as estrogens and xeno-estrogens, which can cause severe disorders in humans and animals. Estrogens and many aromatic hydrocarbons are especially difficult to remove. By using synthetic estrogens in the place of natural estrogen in hormonal contraceptives, the natural hormone degradation is slowed down and the substances remain longer in water. The effect of hormonally active substances on the environment and humans is very complex. They can cause reduced fertility in both humans and animals and result in feminization of males and hermaphroditism, especially in aquatic animals.Besides the synthetic estrogen other chemical substances can also have the same effects on the nature, e.g. Bisphenol-A. These so-called endrocrine substances can also be detected in the body of water. These substances belongs to the chemical class of poly aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emerge from burning fossil fuels. They are bioaccumulating, toxic and have a low biodegradability. Furthermore, numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are cancerogen, which illustrates the danger they pose to the environment. Synthetic estrogens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are among the substances, which can, by conventional wastewater purification, only insufficiently be removed. At this poi

Synthetic biology and the use of laccases may offer solutions especially for such substances.

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