Distribution and bioaccumulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals in water, sediment and fishes in a shallow Chinese freshwater lake: Implications for ecological and human health risks

Occurrence and distribution of hormones and bisphenol A in Laguna Lake, Philippines

The occurrence of hormones and hormone-like compounds in water has been regarded as an emerging environmental concern. These water contaminants are known to cause endocrine disruption that may affect aquatic organisms. In this study, hormones and phenolic xenoestrogens were investigated and measured in the surface waters of Laguna Lake, Philippines. Laguna Lake is the largest lake in the country that has many uses including fish cultivation and source for potable water production. The hormones estrone, 17-beta-estradiol, 17-alpha-ethynylestradiol, progesterone and testosterone as well as the plasticizer bisphenol A in the lake water were determined by solid phase extraction and LC-MS/MS. The extraction method exhibited good recoveries (75-90% in spiked lake water) while the instrumental method of analysis has low detection limits (0.01-0.24 μg/L) and good linear response (>99% in the 0-50 μg/L concentration range). In the nine sampling sites across the lake, estrone was found in concentrations between 0.03 and 0.30 ng/L. 17-Beta-estradiol, testosterone and progesterone were detected in some of the sites in concentrations up to 0.36, 0.22, and 2.05 ng/L, respectively. Bisphenol A was detected in all sites in higher concentrations of 0.71-47.40 ng/L. Although there are no local guidelines yet, the determination and monitoring of these emerging water contaminants are important because of their potential environmental impacts. Further to this initial study, investigations on point sources spanning the tributary rivers, long-term determination of locational and temporal variations, and assessment of ecotoxicological risks are needed. These are crucial in the regulation and mitigation of discharges into the lake.

Effects of 17 α-methyltestosterone on the transcriptome, gonadal histology and sex steroid hormones in Pseudorasbora parva

In recent years, the increasing use of environmental endocrine disruptors has caused serious environmental pollution and hurt aquatic organisms. It is still risky for aquatic species and humans exposed to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT), however, the harmful effect of MT on fish is still poorly understood. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of MT on Pseudorasbora parva at multi-levels. We analyzed gonadal histology, the sex steroid hormones, steroidogenic genes expression, and transcriptome profiling of gonads in response to MT in adult P. parva. Through this study, we found MT could inhibit the gonadal development of P. parva, and the growth and development of fish could be delayed by exposure to MT at 200 ng/L. MT could produce disruption effects on fish from multiple pathways, while its interference to the HPGL axis happens primarily through the steroidogenic pathway, e.g., disturbing the expression of crucial genes and sex steroids synthesis. Besides, we constructed 4 RNAseq libraries and obtained 7758 and 11,543 DEGs in females and males, respectively. Interestingly, we found MT had more obvious disruption effects on males than the females, mainly reflected in the immune system. Interestingly, we found three common pathways in both sexes after MT exposure, i.e., cell adhesion molecules, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. These results confirm the suitability of P. parva as a model fish for aquatic toxicological study and provide us a multidimensional sight for the disruption effects of MT on fish.

Co-occurrence characteristics of antibiotics and estrogens and their relationships in a lake system affected by wastewater

Antibiotics and estrogens are recognized as emerging contaminants in the water environment because of their potentially adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. The concentrations of four steroid estrogens (17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, estrone, and estriol) and eight antibiotics (norfloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, metronidazole, sulfapyridine, doxycycline, and sulfamethoxazole) in the Chaohu Lake basin in Anhui province, China, were analyzed along with adjacent wastewater. The levels of the target antibiotics and estrogens were below detection limits (not detected [nd])-89.86 and nd-118.09 ng L^-1 , respectively, in the lake water. All of the target antibiotics and estrogens were detected in sediment, and the concentrations ranged widely (nd-35,544 and nd-16,344 ng kg^-1 , respectively). Antibiotics and estrogens varied spatially in the study area and mostly came from untreated wastewater. Antibiotics and estrogens were associated with water parameters such as pH and total nitrogen. A significant positive correlation was observed between estriol and levofloxacin concentrations (r = .65; p < .01), indicating that levofloxacin from the same source might have inhibited the microbiological degradation of estriol in the surface water. Overall, the estrogens pose a more severe risk than antibiotics to the Chaohu Lake system. However, co-occurrence of antibiotics may affect the fate of estrogens in the same lake media. More attention should be given to estrogens than to antibiotics in wastewater-affected lake systems.

Possible effect of submarine groundwater discharge on the pollution of coastal water: Occurrence, source, and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals in coastal groundwater and adjacent seawater influenced by reclaimed water irrigation

This study investigated occurrence, source, and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in coastal groundwater and adjacent seawater influenced by reclaimed water irrigation in a typical coastal region of China. All target EDCs were detected in coastal groundwater and reclaimed water while only estrone, bisphenol A (BPA), and nonylphenol were detected in seawater. Concentrations of BPA that was the predominant EDC in coastal groundwater ranged from 35.9 to 52.9 ng/L and estradiol was easy to accumulate in groundwater under reclaimed water irrigation. Concentrations of all target EDCs in seawater ranged from 18.9 to 30.9 ng/L, much lower than those in groundwater. Ecological risks posed by EDCs in groundwater and seawater were very high. Estrone contributed to 51.3%-62.9% of total acute risk quotients for seawater while detected 17-α-ethynylestradiol contributed to 41.1%-56.2% of total acute risk quotients for groundwater. Estradiol equivalent concentrations of target EDCs in groundwater/seawater were in the range of (3.5-7.6)/(1.4-2.3) ng/L while non-cancer risks posed by EDCs in groundwater/seawater were acceptable. Dual-isotope analysis illustrated that reclaimed water was the main source of EDCs in coastal groundwater. About 82% of EDCs was discharged into the Laizhou Bay through the submarine groundwater discharge based on the flux analysis. The pollution of the coastal groundwater through reclaimed water irrigation subsequently led to EDCs pollution of the adjacent seawater through the submarine groundwater discharge. Therefore, effective control of EDCs in reclaimed water for irrigation will be beneficial to control EDCs in groundwater and seawater of the coastal regions.

Endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the aquatic environment of China: Which chemicals are the prioritized ones?

Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been of great concern as emerging contaminants of aquatic environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify top contaminants so as to allocate better management measures. A list of 77 pharmaceuticals, 20 personal care products (PCPs) and 36 EDCs that were frequently detected in Chinese surface waters was examined in this study. The reported chemicals were concentrated in the highly populated and industrialized areas of China (e.g. the Bohai region, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta). The concentrations of EDCs and PPCPs were closely related to human domestic sewage and industrial wastewater discharge, and they were generally higher than or at least comparable to most of global rivers. Based on the proximity between the medians of reported exposure concentrations and effect concentrations, the risk ranking results showed that EDCs, e.g. estrone (E1), estriol (E3), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), and PCPs, e.g. triclocarban (TCC), triclosan (TCS), were deemed to represent higher risks to aquatic organisms across China, as well as the Northern rivers (including the Bohai region), Yangtze River Basin, and Pearl River Basin. Pharmaceuticals posed relatively lower risks to organisms owing to their higher effect concentrations. By comparison, the Northern rivers were hotspots where many chemicals were identified as posing greater risks than the Yangtze River Basin and Pearl River Basin. Fish was the most sensitive taxa to 17β-estradiol (βE2) and EE2, which was almost 100,000 times higher risk than algae and worms. Atrazine (ATZ) and galaxolide (HHCB), posed comparably higher risks to algae and worms. The results of this work provide a sound guidance for future monitoring and management of chemicals in China.

Concentrations levels and effects of 17alpha-Ethinylestradiol in freshwater and marine waters and bivalves: A review

Pharmaceutical drugs are contaminants of emerging concern and are amongst the most frequent in the aquatic environment. Even though a vast literature indicate that pharmaceuticals exert negative impacts towards aquatic organisms, mainly in vertebrates, there is still limited information regarding the effects of these drugs in freshwater and marine bivalves. Marine bivalves have a high ecological and socio-economic value and are considered good bioindicator species in ecotoxicology and risk assessment programs. Furthermore, another lacking point on these studies is the absence of bioconcentration data, with no clear relationship between the concentration of drugs on tissue and the biological effects. 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a synthetic hormone with high estrogenic potency that was added to the Watch List adopted by the European Commission stating the priority substances to be monitored. Thus, this review summarizes the current knowledge on the concentration levels and effects of EE2 on freshwater and marine bivalves. The inclusion in the Watch List, the presence in freshwater and marine systems, and the impact exerted on aquatic biota, even at trace concentrations, justify the review devoted to this pharmaceutical drug. Globally the available studies found that EE2 induces individual and sub-individual (e.g. tissue, cellular, biochemical and molecular levels of biological organization) impacts in bivalves. Essentially, this estrogenic compound, even in trace concentrations, was found to have accumulated in wild and laboratory exposed bivalves. The most common effects reported were changes on the reproductive function and energy metabolism. The studies used in this review support keeping the EE2 on the Watch List and highlight the need to increase the number of monitorization studies since clear negative effects were exerted on bivalves by this drug.

Occurrence, trophic transfer, and health risk assessment of bisphenol analogues in seafood from the Persian Gulf

The presence of chemicals in marine organisms is an important issue for human health due to the growing rate of seafood consumption. Potential exposure to seven bisphenol analogues through seafood consumption was investigated in some popular seafood from the Persian Gulf. Bisphenols were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol B (BPB) were the first and second most common bisphenols in the studied samples, respectively. The highest levels of BPA (mean 13.58 ± 5.70 μg/kg.dw) and BPB (mean 10.30 ± 7.98 μg/kg.dw) were found in E.coioides species. Bisphenol F and bisphenol AF were detected only in P. armatus and L. klunzingeri, respectively. Trophic transfer investigation demonstrated that BPA and BPB were biomagnified in the studied organisms through their diet. The eco-toxicity and estrogenic risk assessment indicated that seafood consumption does not pose a health threat to consumers. However, routine monitoring of bisphenols in seafood seems to be necessary to ensure food safety.

Efficacy assessment of peracetic acid in the removal of synthetic 17α-ethinyl estradiol contraceptive hormone in wastewater

Increasing concerns have been raised on endocrine disrupting chemicals like the sex hormone 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), the more since traditional wastewater (WW) treatments appear to be ineffective for their removal. The efficacy of the relatively novel disinfectant peracetic acid (PAA) in EE2 removal was evaluated, as well as its potential effects on WW quality parameters. The treatments tested for EE2 removal were also evaluated in terms of toxicity, through the determination of biochemical responses (antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation and vitellogenin induction) using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a biological model. PAA contact times less than 20 min appeared insufficient regardless of the PAA dose tested, but a 100% EE2 removal was attained at a PAA concentration of 15 mg/L with a contact time of 20 min. Total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and pH in PAA treatments remained well within levels set in European legislation for WW discharge. EE2 induced significant increased vitellogenin (VTG) levels in both female and male fish, indicating increased estrogenic activity, especially in males suggesting an endocrine disruption effect. With the addition of PAA (15 mg/L), however, VTG levels in both sexes returned to control values. Although this PAA treatment showed increased levels of the antioxidant enzyme catalase, the lipid peroxidation levels were similar or even lower than in controls. Overall the results suggest that the use of PAA appears a promising way forward as a less toxic alternative to chlorine disinfection with high efficiency in the removal of EDC like EE2.

Overview of the analysis, occurrence and ecological effects of hormones in lake waters in Asia

Hormones are natural and synthetic compounds that are now being detected in the aquatic environment. Many lakes in Asia are important water sources that may be affected by these emerging contaminants. Lakes are drains and reservoirs of watersheds that are altered by changing land use and environmental conditions. While there are several studies on the detection of hormones in lakes, these studies were mostly done in China. Limited information is available on the presence of these contaminants in the lakes in other Asian countries. Hormones in the lake water come from discharge waters in urban areas, farm runoffs, and effluents of wastewater and sewage treatment plants. Hormones contamination in water has been shown to affect the reproduction and growth of certain aquatic organisms. In this review, a background on the chemical nature and physiological functions of hormones is provided and the existing knowledge on the occurrence and ecological impacts of hormones in lakes is described. The available analytical methods for sampling, analyte extraction and instrumental analysis are outlined. This overview provides insights on the current conditions of lakes that may be impacted by hormones contamination. Understanding the levels and possible ecological consequences will address the issues on these emerging contaminants especially in the Asian environment. This will elicit discussions on improving guidelines on wastewater discharges and will drive future research directions.

Assessment of water contamination and health risk of endocrine disrupting chemicals in outdoor and indoor swimming pools

The occurrence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in swimming pool waters has been scarcely investigated. In this study, the concentrations of 20 EDCs (4 phenols, 6 estrogens, 4 progestogens, 5 androgens, and 1 pharmaceutical) in 40 outdoor and indoor swimming pools in Changsha, China were investigated. Out of them, two phenols (bisphenol A and 4-tert-octylphenol), three estrogens (17β-estradiol, 17ɑ-ethinlestradiol (EE2), and hexestrol), one pharmaceutical (caffeine), and two progestogens (progesterone and levonorgestrel) were detected in the collected samples. The androgens were not detected. Bisphenol A and caffeine were the dominant EDCs at concentrations of ND-23.22 ng/L and ND-39.08 ng/L, respectively. The levels of caffeine were significantly higher in indoor swimming pools (11.15 ng/L in average) than those in outdoor pools (1.90 ng/L in average) (p < 0.05), owing to the less sun's UV radiation and less use of sunscreens containing caffeine. The progestogens (progesterone and levonorgestrel) and estrogens (17β-estradiol and hexestrol) were only detected in outdoor swimming pools. The detection frequencies and concentrations of bisphenol A and caffeine in downtown pools were significantly higher than those in outskirt pools. Besides, the correlations between the concentrations of EDCs and water quality parameters evaluated by the Spearman correlation analysis implied that residual chlorine had strong oxidant capable to bisphenol A and suggested that caffeine could be a potential indicator of organic contamination in swimming pool water. Finally, a quantitative risk assessment revealed that non-athletic child and athletic adult female were vulnerable subpopulations. The EDI_total of EE2 for athletic child, non-athletic female, non-athletic male, and non-athletic child were higher than ADI_EE2 adopted by Australia and the EDI_total of EE2 for athletic female and athletic male were higher than ADI_EE2 adopted by the United States.

Environmental Water Pollution, Endocrine Interference and Ecotoxicity of 4-tert-Octylphenol: A Review

4-tert-Octylphenol is a degradation product of non-ionic surfactants alkylphenol polyethoxylates as well as raw material for a number of industrial applications. It is a multimedia compound having been detected in all environmental compartments such as indoor air and surface waters. The pollutant is biodegradable, but certain degradation products are more toxic than the parent compound. Newer removal techniques from environmental waters have been presented, but they still require development for large-scale applications. Wastewater treatment by plant enzymes such as peroxidases offers promise in total removal of 4-tert-octylphenol leaving less toxic degradation products. The pollutant's endocrine interference has been well reported but more in oestrogens than in any other signalling pathways through which it is believed to exert toxicity on human and wildlife. In this paper we carried out a review of the activities of this pollutant in environmental waters, endocrine interference and relevance to its toxicities and concluded that inadequate knowledge of its endocrine activities impedes understanding of its toxicity which may frustrate current efforts at ridding the compound from the environment.

Occurrence and Risk Assessment of Steroidal Hormones and Phenolic Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Surface Water in Cuautla River, Mexico

In this study, two hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), and three phenolic compounds, bisphenol A (BPA), 4-N-nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), were determined in surface water in the Cuautla River at the State of Morelos during the dry-season in Mexico. The endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) were extracted from water samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with end-capped C18, and then the extracts were chemically derivatized to TMS (trimethylsylane)-compounds and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GCMS). The most abundant compound was BPA (22.46 ± 30.17 ng L−1), followed by 4-t-OP (11.24 ± 11.76 ng L−1), 4-NP (7.53 ± 14.88 ng L−1), EE2 (2.37 ± 4.36 ng L−1) and E2 (0.97 ± 1.82 ng L−1). The residual amounts of target compounds could either reach stream surface water from direct domestic wastewater discharges, conventional wastewater treatment plant or can be a result from the use of agrochemicals in crop areas. The EDCs in Cuautla River exerted a high pressure on the aquatic ecosystem because their presences in surface water caused medium and high potential ecological risk. Besides, it was found that aquatic organisms were exposed to estrogenic activity.

Responses in the crucian carp (Carassius auratus) exposed to environmentally relevant concentration of 17α-Ethinylestradiol based on metabolomics

17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), a ubiquitous synthetic endocrine disrupting chemical, was the principal component of contraceptive drugs and one of common hormone medications. The detrimental impact of EE2 on the reproduction of organisms was widely recognized. However, the underlying mechanisms of physiological and metabolome effects of EE2 on freshwater fish are still unclear. This study investigated the toxic effects and related mechanisms of EE2 on freshwater fish crucian carp (Carassius auratus) based on metabolomics. Crucian carp were exposed to EE2 at environmentally relevant concentration for 9 days, 18 days, and 27 days, and the biological responses were explored through analysis of the physiological endpoints, steroid hormones, and metabolome. The physiological endpoints of crucian carp had no distinct change after EE2 exposure. However, metabolomics analysis probed significant deviation based on chemometrics, indicating that the metabolomics approach was more sensitive to the effects of EE2 at environmentally relevant concentration to freshwater fish than the traditional endpoints. The alterations of 24 metabolites in gonad and 16 metabolites in kidney were induced by treatment with EE2, respectively, which suggesting the perturbations in amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress. Moreover, EE2 exposure could induce the disruption of lipid metabolism and then broke the homeostasis of endogenous steroid hormones. Metabolomics provided a new strategy for the studies on contaminant exposure at a low dose in the short term and gave important information for the toxicology and mechanism of EE2.

Two PBDEs exposure inducing feeding depression and disorder of digestive and antioxidative system of Daphnia magna

2,2',4,4'-tetrabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-47) and 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) are two typical polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and studies have proven that these PBDs can disrupt the behaviors and physical function of aquatic organisms. However, little is known about the compositional impacts of BDE-47/BDE-99 compound pollution on the feeding behavior of Daphnia magna. In this study, a response surface methodology (RSM) was introduced into the combined toxicity assessment of BDE-47 and BDE-99 on the feeding depression of D. magna. Low concentrations of BDE-47 (9.2 μg/L) and BDE-99 (5.4 μg/L) had no effect on the feeding behavior of D. magna; nevertheless, the feeding depression was strengthened, and a concentration-dependent effect was observed with increasing concentrations of BDE-47 and BDE-99. The results of RSM indicated that the mixture of BDE-47 and BDE-99 can enhance their toxicity on the feeding behavior of D. magna. Moreover, real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that the down-regulation of α-amylase (AMS) appeared in most of the exposed D. magna. However, there were significant different in the gene expression of trypsin, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) between the exposure and control groups. The change in the enzyme activity of AMS, trypsin, SOD and CAT implied that BDE-47 and BDE-99 cause damage to the digestive and antioxidative systems of D. magna. Correlation analysis indicated that a significant positive correlation existed between the gene expression and enzyme activity of SOD and CAT. Our results contribute to the understanding of toxicity caused by BDE-47/BDE-99 compound pollution in D. magna and help to improve traditional toxicity assessment methods for aquatic environments.

Bioaccumulation, metabolism, and risk assessment of phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals in specific tissues of wild fish

Phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may pose a great hazard to wildlife and humans, owing to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and potential bioaccumulation ability. We investigated the bioaccumulation, metabolism, and human health risks of six phenolic EDCs, including bisphenol A (BPA), 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), in wild fish from the Pearl River system, South China. Except EE2, the other five EDCs were detected in at least one of the four fish tissues (bile, liver, plasma, and muscle). The concentrations of BPA and 4-NP were greater than those of 4-t-OP, E1, and E2 in all tissues. The median values of log bioaccumulation factors for EDCs at the range of 3.86-4.52 in bile, 2.06-3.16 in liver, 2.69-3.87 in plasma, and 1.34-2.30 in muscle, indicating a higher bioaccumulation potential in fish bile than in other tissues. Greater levels of glucuronide/sulfate conjugated EDCs were found in fish bile and liver than in the plasma and muscle, suggesting that the liver and bile played an important role in the metabolism and excretion of phenolic EDCs in fish. The calculated hazard quotient values were below 1 for each compound, implying low risk to human health by intake of edible fish.

The Effect of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) on the Release and Distribution of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (Edcs) from Sediment under Hydrodynamic Forces, A Case Study of Bisphenol A (BPA) and Nonylphenol (NP)

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that exist in the aquatic system bring severe environmental risks. In this study, we investigate the dissolved organic matter (DOM) effect on the release and distribution of EDCs under varied hydrodynamic conditions. A water chamber mesocosm was designed to simulate the hydrodynamic forces in a shallow lake. The contents of bisphenol A (BPA) and nonylphenol (NP) in colloid-bound and soluble phases were measured under four increasing hydrodynamic intensities that were 5%, 20%, 50%, and 80% of the critical shear stress. The total BPA and NP contents in overlying water grew linearly with the hydrodynamic intensity (R² = 0.997 and 0.987), from 108.28 to 415.92 ng/L of BPA and 87.73 to 255.52 ng/L of NP. The exponential relationships of EDC content and hydrodynamic intensity in soluble phase (R² = 0.985 of BPA and 0.987 of NP) and colloid phase (R² = 0.992 of BPA and 0.995 of NP) were also detected. The DOM concentrations in colloid-bound phase (cDOM) and in soluble phase (sDOM) were measured and the linear relationships with BPA content (R² = 0.967 of cDOM and 0.989 of sDOM) and NP content (R² = 0.978 of cDOM and 0.965 of sDOM) were detected. We analyzed the ratio (αDOM) of sDOM and cDOM that grew logarithmically with the hydrodynamic intensity (R² = 0.999). Moreover, the ratio (αEDCs) of BPA and NP contents in soluble and colloid-bound phases varied differently with αDOM. The results suggested that BPA tended to be in the soluble phase and NP tended to be in the colloid-bound phase due to the increasing value of αDOM.

Emerging pollutants in the urban water cycle in Latin America: A review of the current literature

Emerging pollutants (EP) are increasingly studied and characterized worldwide to improve the understanding of their environmental and toxicological impacts and their occurrence and behaviors in different environmental systems. Latin America has been subject to both environmental and toxicological impacts due to EP. To better understand these impacts, studies concerning pollutants have increased for the last ten years. The current study presents a critical review on the occurrence of different emerging pollutants in various components of the urban water cycle (UWC) in Latin America. The review is based on studies performed in 11 different countries between 1999 and 2018. The countries where the higher number of investigations were conducted are Brazil (53%) and Mexico (15%). The EP most often studied within the literature are pharmaceuticals, followed by personal care products. The most common EP reported were 17β-estradiol, bisphenol A and estrone; The UWC component with the greatest number of measurements in the reported studies were effluents from wastewater treatment plants.

Contaminants of emerging concern in freshwater fish from four Spanish Rivers

This study investigated the occurrence of 135 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) - pharmaceuticals, pesticides, a set of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) (parabens, bisphenols, hormones, triazoles, organophosphorus flame retardants and triclosan), UV-filters, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) - in 59 fish samples, collected in 2010 in 4 Spanish Rivers (Guadalquivir, Júcar, Ebro and Llobregat). Of the 135 CECs, 76 including 8 pharmaceuticals, 25 pesticides, 10 EDCs, 5 UV-filters, 15 PFASs and 13 HFRs were detected. Pharmaceuticals were the less frequently found and at lower concentrations. Pesticides, EDCs, UV-filters, PFASs and HFRs were detected more frequently (>50% of the samples). The maximum concentrations were 15 ng/g dry weight (dw) for pharmaceuticals (diclofenac), 840 ng/g dw for pesticides (chlorpyrifos), 224 ng/g dw for EDCs (bisphenol A), 242 ng/g dw for UV-filters (EHMC), 1738 ng/g dw for PFASs (PFHxA) and 64 ng/g dw for HFRs (Dec 602). The contaminants detected in fish are commonly detected also in sediments. In light of current knowledge, the risk assessment revealed that there was no risk for humans related to the exposure to CECs via freshwater fish consumption. However, results provide detailed information on the mixtures of CECs accumulated that would be very useful to identify their effects on aquatic biota.

Influence of anthropogenic activities and risk assessment on protected mangrove forest using traditional and emerging molecular markers (Ceará coast, northeastern Brazil)

Anthropogenic molecular markers were used to assess chemicals inputs and ecological risks associated from multiple sources to sediments in one of the largest tropical mangrove forests of South America, with a particular focus on lesser studied compounds resulting from rural activities. Total concentrations ranged from 23.4 to 228.2 ng g^-1 for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑_PAHs), 750.4 to 5912.5 ng g^-1 for aliphatic hydrocarbons (∑_AHs), 32.4 to 696.6 ng g^-1 for pesticides (∑_pesticides), 23.1 to 2109.7 ng g^-1 for coprostanol and sterols (∑_sterols), 139.3 to 580.2 ng g^-1 for naturals hormones (∑_{natural hormones}) and 334.1 to 823.4 ng g^-1 for synthetics hormones (∑_{synthetic hormones}). The PAHs and AHs used as traditional anthropogenic markers showed a mixture between natural and anthropogenic sources, related mainly to inputs from higher plants, phytoplankton and both, biomass and petroleum combustion. Rural activities linked to agricultural pest control are the predominant source of pesticides, although minor inputs from pesticides used in urban public health campaigns and household activities were also detected. Synthetic hormones levels are two to three orders of magnitude greater than natural hormones levels and no correlations were observed between the main sewage markers and synthetic hormone concentrations, rural activities such as animal husbandry, which use drugs in management, may be the predominant anthropogenic sources of these compounds in the region. Traditional markers failed to detect ecological risks in rural areas, where synthetic substances (e.g. pesticides and hormones) are widely used and introduced in the environment.

Occurrence and bioconcentration of micropollutants in Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) in a reclaimed water reservoir

This study examined the occurrence of 49 micropollutants in reclaimed water and Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus) living in a reclaimed water reservoir. The numbers of micropollutants detected in reclaimed water, Silver Perch liver, and Silver Perch flesh were 20, 23, and 19, respectively. Concentrations of all micropollutants in reclaimed water, except benzotriazole, were well below the Australian Guideline for Recycled Water (AGRW) values for potable purposes. The concentration of benzotriazole in reclaimed water was 675 ± 130 ng/L while the AGRW value for this compound was 7 ng/L. Not all micropollutants detected in the water phase were identified in the Silver Perch flesh and liver tissues. Likewise, not all micropollutants detected in the Silver Perch flesh and liver were identified in the reclaimed water. In general, micropollutant concentrations in the liver were higher than in the flesh. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was detected at a trace level in reclaimed water well below the AGRW guideline value for potable purposes, but showed a high and medium bioconcentration factor in Silver Perch liver and flesh, respectively. In addition, the risk quotient for PFOS was medium and high when considering its concentration in Silver Perch liver and flesh, respectively. Results reported here highlight the need to evaluate multiple parameters for a comprehensive risk assessment. The results also single out PFOS as a notable contaminant of concern for further investigation.

Emerging and traditional organic markers: Baseline study showing the influence of untraditional anthropogenic activities on coastal zones with multiple activities (Ceará coast, Northeast Brazil)

Molecular markers are useful tools to characterize natural and anthropogenic impacts on coastal zones. Distribution of n-alkanes showed that the Pacoti River was predominantly influenced by terrigenous input. Distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) indices showed a mix of natural sources, especially pyrogenic influences. Sterol and hormone levels showed sewage discharge. Integrated geographic assessment showed that pyrogenic process and sewage discharge are predominant along the river because of natural and different anthropogenic activities. The upstream region is influenced by rural activities such as livestock and discharge from the sewage treatment plant, whereas the estuarine region is influenced by urban and industrial activities, predominantly the discharge of treated or untreated sewage, vehicle traffic, and manufacture of red ceramics. On the other hand, on the river mouth, there is the predominance of aquaculture activities. Traditional anthropogenic markers are not sufficient for producing a comprehensive assessment of anthropogenic impacts in areas with multiple activities.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in wild freshwater fishes: Species, tissues, sizes and human health risks

Increasing attention has been devoted to the adverse effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on aquatic environments, such as water, sediment and sludge. To date, few studies have investigated the bio-accumulative characteristics of EDCs in different tissues of diverse wild freshwater fish species and their combined impacts on human health. Five EDCs were investigated in the muscle, liver, gill and, especially, gonad of three fish species collected from the Xiangjiang River, southern China. Carnivorous Siniperca Chuatsi or omnivorous Cyprinus Carpio accumulated higher contents of bisphenol A (BPA) and estrone than herbivorous Parabramis Pekinensis in muscle. Furthermore, 4-n-nonylphenol and estrone were found at higher levels and more frequently in the liver, implying that the liver played an important role in basic metabolism for accumulation, biotransformation and excretion of EDCs. Highest concentrations of BPA found in the gonad revealed that the BPA may pose a serious threat to the reproductive system of aquatic organisms. The mean liver/muscle concentration ratios of 4-n-nonylphenol, BPA, estrone and 17α-ethynyl estradiol confirmed the prolonged exposure of the fish to these EDCs. In addition, the relationships between the fish sizes and the EDC concentrations analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis implied that the bioaccumulation of diethylstilbestrol and BPA increased with the growth of Parabramis Pekinensis, and there was a balance between the uptake rate and elimination rate of EDCs in Siniperca Chuatsi and Cyprinus Carpio. Most importantly, the cumulative impacts of combined EDCs on human health by fish consumption were evaluated. The total estradiol equivalent quantity of estrogens was higher than that of phenols. Also, based on the results of the Monte-Carlo simulation, the 95th percentile values of the total estimated daily intakes from consuming the three freshwater fish species from the Xiangjiang River were higher than the acceptable daily intake.

Occurrence, distribution and risk assessment of organophosphate esters in surface water and sediment from a shallow freshwater Lake, China

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are ubiquitous in the environment and pose a potential threat to ecosystem and human health. This study investigated the concentrations, distributions and risk of 12 OPEs in surface water and sediment from Luoma Lake, Fangting River and Yi River. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) method were used to extract OPEs from water samples, ultrasonic process and SPE method were used to extract OPEs from sediment samples, and the extracts were finally analyzed using the HPLC-MS/MS. The results revealed that the median and maximum concentrations of ΣOPEs were 73.9 and 1066 ng/L in surface water, and were 28.7 and 35.9 ng/g in sediment, respectively. Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP) were the most abundant OPEs in the surface water with median concentrations of 24.3 and 16.4 ng/L in Luoma Lake, respectively. Triethyl phosphate (TEP) was the most abundant OPE in the sediment with a median concentrations of 28.9 ng/g. However, tricresyl phosphate (TCrP) and ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) predominantly contributed to the ecological risk with respective median risk quotients 0.07 and 0.01 for surface water in Luoma Lake. TEP and TCrP were the most significant contributors to the ecological risk with respective median risk quotients of 6.4 × 10^-4 and 5.6 × 10^-4 for sediment. It was also found that inflowing Fangting River could be the major pollution source to Luoma Lake. The no-cancer and carcinogenic risks of OPEs were lower than the theoretical threshold of risk. The study found that the ecological and human health risks due to the exposure to OPEs were currently acceptable. In other words, the Luoma Lake was relatively safer to use as a drinking water source in urban areas in the context of OPEs pollution.

Migration and health risks of nonylphenol and bisphenol a in soil-winter wheat systems with long-term reclaimed water irrigation

Reclaimed water reuse has become an important means of alleviating agricultural water shortage worldwide. However, the presence of endocrine disrupters has roused up considerable attention. Barrel test in farmland was conducted to investigate the migration of nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in soil-winter wheat system simulating reclaimed water irrigation. Additionally, the health risks on humans were assessed based on US EPA risk assessment model. The migration of NP and BPA decreased from the soil to the winter wheat; the biological concentration factors (BCFs) of NP and BPA in roots, stems, leaves, and grains all decreased with their added concentrations in soils. The BCFs of NP and BPA in roots were greatest (0.60-5.80 and 0.063-1.45, respectively). The average BCFs of NP and BPA in winter wheat showed negative exponential relations to their concentrations in soil. The amounts of NP and BPA in soil-winter wheat system accounted for 8.99-28.24% and 2.35-4.95%, respectively, of the initial amounts added into the soils. The hazard quotient (HQ) for children and adults ranged between 10^-6 and 1, so carcinogenic risks could be induced by ingesting winter wheat grains under long-term reclaimed water irrigation.

Hollow-fiber renewal liquid membrane extraction coupled with 96-well plate system as innovative high-throughput configuration for the determination of endocrine disrupting compounds by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence and diode array detection

This paper describes a new configuration of the hollow fiber renewal liquid membrane (HFRLM) procedure for the high-throughput determination of the endocrine disrupting compounds 4-nonylphenol, 4-octylphenol, 4-tert-octylphenol, methylparaben, ethylparaben and bisphenol A using a 96-well plate system and high-performance liquid chromatography. In this configuration, cylindrical blades were adapted as a support for polypropylene membranes used as supported liquid membranes in the HFRLM approach. The proposed configuration exhibited important advantages including high-throughput, low solvent and sample consumption, and good analytical performance. The optimized extraction conditions were achieved with the use of a mixture comprised of 50:50 v/v 1-octanol:hexane as the supported liquid membrane, sample pH 5, extraction solvent 15 μL (hexane) and extraction time 45 min. The limits of quantification varied from 0.5 μg L^-1 for 4-octylphenol to 15 μg L^-1 for methylparaben and ethylparaben and the r² ranged from 0.9908 for methylparaben to 0.9992 for 4-tert-octylphenol. HFRLM combined with the use of a 96-well plate provides an environmentally-friendly configuration. It offers good accuracy when applied to analyze water samples, with relative recoveries ranging from 72 to 130%, for 4-octylphenol and 4-nonylphenol, respectively, and precision varying from 1 to 14.3%, for 4-nonylphenol at 1.0 μg L^-1 and bisphenol A at 8.0 μg L^-1, respectively.

Histological and ultrastructural alterations of the Italian newt (Lissotriton italicus) skin after exposure to ecologically relevant concentrations of nonylphenol ethoxylates

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are well known endocrine disruptors. Widespread environmental contamination from NPEs is an issue of great concern. Despite amphibians are often exposed to such contaminants, very little attention has been dedicated to this vertebrate group. No information is available on the effects of NPEs onto the amphibian skin and only few reports have been conducted on fish. Here, histological and ultrastructural modifications of the skin have been evaluated in the Italian newt Lissotriton italicus. After a short-term exposure to two ecologically relevant concentrations of NP, severe pathological alterations, both dose and time-dependent, have been observed. The main effects were an increased mucous secretion, the dilation of the endomembrane, the wrinkling of the epidermal surface, the appearance of tubercles, the increased cellular turnover, continuous shedding processes. Some of the described skin alterations can easily interfere with physiological functions, such as osmoregulation and body protection, with detrimental consequences for the amphibian populations.

Occurrence, distribution, and sources of emerging organic contaminants in tropical coastal sediments of anthropogenically impacted Klang River estuary, Malaysia

This baseline assessment reports on the occurrence, distribution, and sources of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in tropical coastal sediments of anthropogenically impacted Klang River estuary, Malaysia. Bisphenol A was the highest concentration detected at 16.84 ng g^-1 dry weight, followed by diclofenac (13.88 ng g^-1 dry weight) and E1 (12.47 ng g^-1 dry weight). Five compounds, namely, amoxicillin, progesterone, diazinon, bisphenol A, and E1, were found in all sampling stations assessed, and other compounds such as primidone, diclofenac, testosterone, E2, and EE2 were ubiquitously present in sediment samples, with percentage of detection range from 89.04% to 98.38%. Organic carbon content and pH were the important factors controlling the fate of targeted compounds in the tropical estuarine sediment. On the basis of the literature from other studies, the sources of EOCs are thought to be from wastewater treatment plants, domestic/medical waste discharge, livestock activities, industrial waste discharge, and agricultural activities.

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds from the Source Water of the Huai River (Huainan City), China

The occurrence and environmental risk of eight endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), namely dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), nonyl phenol (NP), bisphenol A (BPA), 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estrone (E1), from four water sources (Pingshantou, Wanfenggang, Shisi, and Shiyi) of Huai River (Huainan section) were investigated in this study. Except for DMP only found in Pingshantou, all of the selected EDCs existed widely in the source water. DMP, DEP, BBP, DBP, NP, BPA, EE2, and E1 had the ranges of nd (cannot be detected)-130 ng/L, 25-310, 76-1351, 431-1299, 215-627, 23-107, nd-0.174, and 0.143-0.334 ng/L, respectively. Therefore, the studied water sources were associated with notable levels of EDCs, wherein the concentrations of BBP, DBP, and NP were much higher than the other five chemicals. The selected EDCs appeared to be higher in upstream than in downstream (p < 0.05) for each water source, suggesting that EDCs were subjected to a decreasing with water flow. Correlation analysis suggests that DEP-BP-DBP, NP-BPA, and EE2-E1 might have the same sources, respectively; and the source of NP, EE2, and E1 was different from that of BBP, BEP and BBP, and DEP, respectively. It was observed that both the TAS (total ambient severity) and RQ (risk quotient) were less than 1, indicating that EDCs in Huai River (Huainan section) posed little or no thread to the health of local inhabitants and ecological environmental.