Monitoring endocrine-disrupting chemicals and microbial diversity of wastewater treatment maturation ponds.

were the most abundant bacterial genera (9.50% and 6.22%), while unidentified taxa represented 85.88% of eukaryotic genera. Functional analysis revealed potential xenobiotic degradation pathways associated with bisphenol A and atrazine, indicating microbial potential for EDC degradation. These findings established the presence of EDCs and microbial compositions of maturation ponds with an estimated hydraulic retention time of ~9 days, emphasizing the need for improved wastewater treatment strategies and bioremediation approaches.IMPORTANCEEndocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are increasingly found in treated wastewater, yet their removal is not guaranteed in conventional treatment systems. This study examined maturation ponds of South African wastewater treatment plant and provided new insights into their chemical pollutant retention and microbial dynamics. By tracking selected EDCs together with bacterial and eukaryotic communities, the study showed how environmental conditions and microbial populations interact within the ponds. The detection of microbes with potential to degrade pollutants highlighted a natural capacity that could be strengthened for bioremediation. South Africa relies heavily on treated wastewater as a supplementary water source, and understanding the presence of EDCs and the biological process within these ponds is essential. These findings contribute to improving wastewater treatment practices and developing sustainable, microbially driven solutions for safer water management.