Water, particularly in urban areas, often contains pollutants, including endocrine disruptors such as drugs or metals, which can affect human health and are difficult to remove using conventional or even advanced treatment methods.

Understanding the effects of these pollutants on human health is therefore necessary to ensure high-quality drinking water. Water from alternative sources, such as rainwater and treated wastewater, must therefore undergo thorough impact assessments before use in order to limit the risk to human health.

In particular, the effects of endocrine disruptors found in water on women’s health and pregnancy (involving the mammary glands and placenta) are being investigated.