Decay of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in aerobic and anoxic groundwater.

Biodegradation and adsorption of selected endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), namely oestrogens (E2 and EE2) and phenolic compounds (BPA, 4-t-OP and 4-n-NP), in aquifer materials was investigated in the laboratory in order to understand the behaviour and fate of these chemicals associated with reclaimed water during managed aquifer recharge. Biodegradation experiments were conducted in microcosms with aquifer material and groundwater mixture, or with aquifer material and effluent mixture in the presence of glucose under both aerobic and anoxic conditions. All five selected compounds were degraded by microorganisms in both types of aquifer material-water mixtures under aerobic and anoxic conditions.

Smell perception during early pregnancy: no evidence of an adaptive mechanism.

Objective: It has been suggested that nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is an evolutionary adaptive mechanism to avoid the ingestion of potentially harmful foods. It has also been suggested that the mechanism that triggers nausea and vomiting in pregnancy may be olfaction and that olfactory senses are invoked to provide this protection. This study aimed to test this theory in a systematic design.