Human oral contraceptives overflow into our freshwaters. Synthetic estrogens such as EE2 enter treatment plants in urine and pass through into receiving waters.
It is well-documented that this overflow estrogen is giving male fish female characteristics and these changes are threatening fish stocks in the Great Lakes and other waters receiving output from sewage treatment plants.
Chemical catalysts known as tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (TAML) are available and could be provided in sewage treatment plants. We could break down the synthetic estrogens that are taking male fish out of the reproductive process.
Removal and redirection of nutrients and pathogens are not the only roles of sewage treatment plants. It is time to move from the out-dated image of sewage treatment toward the chemical control of pharmaceuticals that we put into our toilets.