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Strotmann U, Durand MJ, Thouand G, Eberlein C, Heipieper HJ, Gartiser S, Pagga U. Microbiological toxicity tests using standardized ISO/OECD methods-current state and outlook. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:454. [PMID: 39215841 PMCID: PMC11365844 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13286-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Microbial toxicity tests play an important role in various scientific and technical fields including the risk assessment of chemical compounds in the environment. There is a large battery of normalized tests available that have been standardized by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) and which are worldwide accepted and applied. The focus of this review is to provide information on microbial toxicity tests, which are used to elucidate effects in other laboratory tests such as biodegradation tests, and for the prediction of effects in natural and technical aqueous compartments in the environment. The various standardized tests as well as not normalized methods are described and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. In addition, the sensitivity and usefulness of such tests including a short comparison with other ecotoxicological tests is presented. Moreover, the far-reaching influence of microbial toxicity tests on biodegradation tests is also demonstrated. A new concept of the physiological potential of an inoculum (PPI) consisting of microbial toxicity tests whose results are expressed as a chemical resistance potential (CRP) and the biodegradation adaptation potential (BAP) of an inoculum is described that may be helpful to characterize inocula used for biodegradation tests. KEY POINTS: • Microbial toxicity tests standardized by ISO and OECD have large differences in sensitivity and applicability. • Standardized microbial toxicity tests in combination with biodegradability tests open a new way to characterize inocula for biodegradation tests. • Standardized microbial toxicity tests together with ecotoxicity tests can form a very effective toolbox for the characterization of toxic effects of chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Strotmann
- Dept. of Chemistry, Westfälische Hochschule, Recklinghausen, Germany
| | - Marie-José Durand
- UMR 6144, Nantes Université, ONIRIS, CNRS, GEPEA, 85000, La Roche Sur Yon, France
| | - Gerald Thouand
- UMR 6144, Nantes Université, ONIRIS, CNRS, GEPEA, 85000, La Roche Sur Yon, France
| | - Christian Eberlein
- Department of Molecular Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hermann J Heipieper
- Department of Molecular Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
| | | | - Udo Pagga
- , Rüdigerstr. 49, 67069, Ludwigshafen, Germany
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2
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Grzegorzek M, Wartalska K, Kowalik R. Occurrence and sources of hormones in water resources-environmental and health impact. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:37907-37922. [PMID: 38772997 PMCID: PMC11189324 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Within recent years, hormones have become emergent contaminants in the water environment. They easily accumulate in living organisms which in effect leads to numerous health problems (endocrine-disrupting mechanism is one of the most known toxic effects). Microbial resistance to antibiotics also became one of the emergent issues related to hormone presence. It was shown that the most common in the environment occur estrogens (E1, E2, E3, and EE2). It has been proven that large amounts of hormones are released from aquaculture as well as from wastewater treatment plants (due to the relatively low separation efficiency of conventional wastewater treatment processes). Within the article's scope, the literature review was performed. The analysis was regarding the characterization of the hormone substances present in the environment, their influence on living organisms and the environment, as well as its potential sources classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Grzegorzek
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Stanisława Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Wartalska
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Stanisława Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Robert Kowalik
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Geodesy and Renewable Energy, Kielce University of Technology, Al. Tysiąclecia Państwa Polskiego 7, 25-314, Kielce, Poland
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3
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Choi Y, Seo CD, Lee W, Son H, Lee Y. Assessment of bioactive chemicals in wastewater effluents and surface waters using in vitro bioassays in the Nakdong River basin, Korea. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 347:140621. [PMID: 37956933 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Organic micropollutants present in effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can negatively affect the quality of receiving waters or drinking water sources. The present work monitored the concentration of bioactive chemicals using a battery of in vitro bioassays in 14 WWTP effluents, 2 effluent-dominant streams, and 5 river waters in the Nakdong River basin, Korea, for a two-year period. The WWTP effluents showed AR/ERα/TRβ (androgen/estrogen/thyroid hormone) activities at a few to tens ng/L, PAH/PPARγ/p53 (polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbon/lipid metabolism/genotoxicity) activities at hundreds ng/L, and PXR/Nrf2 (xenobiotic metabolism/oxidative stress) activities at tens to hundreds μg/L as bioanalytical equivalent concentrations. The concentration level and type of bioactivities were statistically not affected by the source, season, or treatment processes of WWTPs for most endpoints. The effluent-dominant streams showed similar levels of AR/ERα/PAH/PXR/Nrf2 activities compared to the upstream WWTP effluents. The river waters showed lower levels of AR/ERα activities (by factors of 6 or 7) but had only slightly lower PAH/PXR/Nrf2 activities (within factors of 2) than the WWTP effluents when compared based on median concentration. Cytotoxicity was below the quantification limit (0.3 μg/L) in most effluent and river samples. For ERα/PAH/PXR/Nrf2, the median bioactivity levels of the river waters were higher than at least one of the effect-based trigger (EBT) values proposed in the literature. Further monitoring work and reliable/realistic EBT derivation are needed to determine possible ecological risks posed by the observed bioactivities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yegyun Choi
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Dong Seo
- Water Quality Institute Busan Water Authority, Republic of Korea
| | - Woorim Lee
- Environment & Energy Research Laboratory, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Heejong Son
- Water Quality Institute Busan Water Authority, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yunho Lee
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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Gutiérrez-Noya VM, Gómez-Oliván LM, Casas-Hinojosa I, García-Medina S, Rosales-Pérez KE, Orozco-Hernández JM, Elizalde-Velázquez GA, Galar-Martínez M, Dublán-García O, Islas-Flores H. Short-term exposure to dexamethasone at environmentally relevant concentrations impairs embryonic development in Cyprinus carpio: Bioconcentration and alteration of oxidative stress-related gene expression patterns. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165528. [PMID: 37451451 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years and as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the consumption of dexamethasone (DXE) has increased. This favors that this corticosteroid is highly released in aquatic environments, generating deleterious effects in aquatic organisms. The information on the toxic effects of DXE in the environment is still limited. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine whether DXE at short-term exposure can cause alterations to embryonic development and alteration of oxidative stress-related gene expression patterns in Cyprinus carpio. For this purpose, common carp embryos (2 hpf) were exposed to realistic concentrations of DXE until 96 hpf. Alterations to embryonic development were evaluated at 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hpf. In addition, oxidative stress in carp embryos at 72 and 96 hpf was evaluated by cellular oxidation biomarkers (lipoperoxidation level, hydroperoxide and carbonyl protein content) and antioxidant enzymes activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase). Oxidative stress-related gene expression (sod, cat and gpx1) was also evaluated. Our results showed that DXE concentrations above 35 ng/L are capable of producing alterations to embryonic development in 50 % of the embryo population. Furthermore, DXE was able to induce alterations such as scoliosis, hypopigmentation, craniofacial malformations, pericardial edema and growth retardation, leading to the death of half of the population at 50 ng/L of DXE. Concerning oxidative stress, the results demonstrated that DXE induce oxidative damage on the embryos of C. carpio. In conclusion, DXE is capable of altering embryonic development and generating oxidative stress in common carp C. carpio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Margarita Gutiérrez-Noya
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
| | - Idalia Casas-Hinojosa
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra García-Medina
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, Ciudad de México CP 07700, Mexico
| | - Karina Elisa Rosales-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - José Manuel Orozco-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Axel Elizalde-Velázquez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Marcela Galar-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Acuática, Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Av. Wilfrido Massieu s/n y cerrada Manuel Stampa, Col. Industrial Vallejo, Ciudad de México CP 07700, Mexico
| | - Octavio Dublán-García
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Hariz Islas-Flores
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón intersección Paseo Tollocan, Colonia Residencial Colón, CP 50120 Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
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5
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Kim F, Pablo GF, Lubertus B, Lutz A, Karin W, Félix H, Agneta O, Johan L. Effect-based evaluation of water quality in a system of indirect reuse of wastewater for drinking water production. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120147. [PMID: 37320875 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Indirect potable reuse of wastewater is a practice that is gaining attention, aiming to increase freshwater supplies to meet water scarcity. However, reusing effluent wastewater for drinking water production comes with a paired risk of adverse health effects, due to the potential presence of pathogenic microorganisms and hazardous micropollutants. Disinfection is an established method to reduce microbial hazards in drinking water, but it has been associated with formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs). In this study, we performed an effect-based assessment of chemical hazards in a system wherein a full-scale trial of disinfection by chlorination, of the treated wastewater was performed prior discharge to the reciepient river. The presence of bioactive pollutants was assessed along the entire treatment system, starting from incoming wastewater to finished drinking water at seven sites in and around the Llobregat River in Barcelona, Spain. Samples were collected in two campaigns, with and without applied chlorination treatment (13 mg Cl2/L) to the effluent wastewater. The water samples were analysed for cell viability, oxidative stress response (Nrf2 activity), estrogenicity, androgenicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity and activation of NFĸB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) signaling using stably transfected mammalian cell lines. Nrf2 activity, estrogen receptor activation and AhR activation was detected in all investigated samples. Overall, removal efficiencies were high in both wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment samples for most of the studied endpoints. No increase in oxidative stress (Nrf2 activity) could be attributed to the additional chlorination treatment of the effluent wastewater. However, we found an increase in AhR activity and a reduction of ER agonistic activity after chlorination treatment of effluent wastewater. The bioactivity detected in finished drinking water was considerably lower compared to what was found in effluent wastewater. We could thus conclude that indirect reuse of treated wastewater for drinking water production can be possible without compromising drinking water quality. This study contributed important knowledge in efforts to increase the reuse of treated wastewater as a source for drinking water production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frieberg Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, Uppsala SE-750 07, Sweden.
| | - Gago-Ferrero Pablo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research - Severo Ochoa Excellence Center (IDAEA), Jordi Girona, 18-26, Barcelona 08034, Spain; Edifici H20 - Parc Cientific i Tecnològic de Girona, Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit, 101, Girona E-17003, Spain
| | - Bijlsma Lubertus
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castellón E-12071, Spain
| | - Ahrens Lutz
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050 SE, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Wiberg Karin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050 SE, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Hernández Félix
- Environmental and Public Health Analytical Chemistry, Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Castellón E-12071, Spain
| | - Oskarsson Agneta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, Uppsala SE-750 07, Sweden
| | - Lundqvist Johan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7028, Uppsala SE-750 07, Sweden
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6
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Neale PA, Escher BI, de Baat ML, Dechesne M, Dingemans MML, Enault J, Pronk GJ, Smeets PWMH, Leusch FDL. Application of Effect-Based Methods to Water Quality Monitoring: Answering Frequently Asked Questions by Water Quality Managers, Regulators, and Policy Makers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6023-6032. [PMID: 37026997 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Effect-based methods (EBM) have great potential for water quality monitoring as they can detect the mixture effects of all active known and unknown chemicals in a sample, which cannot be addressed by chemical analysis alone. To date, EBM have primarily been applied in a research context, with a lower level of uptake by the water sector and regulators. This is partly due to concerns regarding the reliability and interpretation of EBM. Using evidence from the peer-reviewed literature, this work aims to answer frequently asked questions about EBM. The questions were identified through consultation with the water industry and regulators and cover topics related to the basis for using EBM, practical considerations regarding reliability, sampling for EBM and quality control, and what to do with the information provided by EBM. The information provided in this work aims to give confidence to regulators and the water sector to stimulate the application of EBM for water quality monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Beate I Escher
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
- Department of Cell Toxicology, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Milo L de Baat
- KWR Water Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Magali Dechesne
- Veolia Research & Innovation,765 rue Henri Becquerel, 34965 Montpellier, France
| | - Milou M L Dingemans
- KWR Water Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jérôme Enault
- SUEZ CIRSEE, 38 rue du President Wilson, 78230 Le Pecq, France
| | - Geertje J Pronk
- KWR Water Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | | | - Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
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7
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Neale PA, Escher BI, de Baat ML, Enault J, Leusch FDL. Effect-Based Trigger Values Are Essential for the Uptake of Effect-Based Methods in Water Safety Planning. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:714-726. [PMID: 36524849 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Effect-based methods (EBMs) using in vitro bioassays and well plate-based in vivo assays are recommended for water quality monitoring because they can capture the mixture effects of the many chemicals present in water. Many in vitro bioassays are highly sensitive, so an effect in a bioassay does not necessarily indicate poor chemical water quality. Consequently, effect-based trigger values (EBTs) have been introduced to differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable chemical water quality and are required for the wider acceptance of EBMs by the water sector and regulatory bodies. These EBTs have been derived for both drinking water and surface water to protect human and ecological health, respectively, and are available for assays indicative of specific receptor-mediated effects, as well as assays indicative of adaptive stress responses, apical effects, and receptor-mediated effects triggered by many chemicals. An overview of currently available EBTs is provided, and a simple approach is proposed to predict interim EBTs for assays currently without an EBT based on the effect concentration of the assay reference compound. There was good agreement between EBTs predicted using this simplistic approach and EBTs from the literature derived using more robust methods. Finally, an interpretation framework that outlines the steps to take if the effect of a sample exceeds the EBT was developed to help facilitate the uptake of EBMs in routine water quality monitoring and water safety planning for drinking water production. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:714-726. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Beate I Escher
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Cell Toxicology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Milo L de Baat
- KWR Water Research Institute, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | | | - Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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Tue NM, Matsukami H, Tuyen LH, Suzuki G, Viet PH, Sudaryanto A, Subramanian A, Tanabe S, Kunisue T. Estrogenic, androgenic, and glucocorticoid activities and major causative compounds in river waters from three Asian countries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:20765-20774. [PMID: 36255587 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23674-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen, androgen, and glucocorticoid receptors (ER, AR, and GR) agonist activities in river water samples from Chennai and Bangalore (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), and Hanoi (Vietnam) were evaluated using a panel of chemical-activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) assays and were detected mainly in the dissolved phase. The ER agonist activity levels were 0.011-55 ng estradiol (E2)-equivalent/l, higher than the proposed effect-based trigger (EBT) value of 0.5 ng/l in most of the samples. The AR agonist activity levels were < 2.1-110 ng dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-equivalent/l, and all levels above the limit of quantification exceeded the EBT value of 3.4 ng/l. GR agonist activities were detected in only Bangalore and Hanoi samples at dexamethasone (Dex)-equivalent levels of < 16-150 ng/l and exceeded the EBT value of 100 ng/l in only two Bangalore samples. Major compounds contributing to the ER, AR, and GR agonist activities were identified for water samples from Bangalore and Hanoi, which had substantially higher activities in all assays, by using a combination of fractionation, CALUX measurement, and non-target and target chemical analysis. The results for pooled samples showed that the major ER agonists were the endogenous estrogens E2 and estriol, and the major GR agonists were the synthetic glucocorticoids Dex and clobetasol propionate. The only AR agonist identified in major androgenic water extract fractions was DHT, but several unidentified compounds with the same molecular formulae as endogenous androgens were also found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Minh Tue
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety Control (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hidenori Matsukami
- Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Le Huu Tuyen
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety Control (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Go Suzuki
- Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Pham Hung Viet
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety Control (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Agus Sudaryanto
- National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. M.H. Thamrin 8, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Annamalai Subramanian
- Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shinsuke Tanabe
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kunisue
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, 790-8577, Japan.
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Choi Y, Jung EY, Lee W, Choi S, Son H, Lee Y. In vitro bioanalytical assessment of the occurrence and removal of bioactive chemicals in municipal wastewater treatment plants in Korea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159724. [PMID: 36306847 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain various organic micropollutants, some of which can exert negative effects on the quality of receiving waters or drinking water sources. This study monitored two full-scale WWTPs in Korea for the occurrence and removal of bioactive chemicals for a one-year period using a battery of in vitro bioassays as a complementary approach to chemical analysis. Bioassays covering different endpoints were employed, such as hormone receptor activation (AR and ERα), xenobiotic metabolism (PAH and PXR), oxidative stress response (Nrf2), and cytotoxicity. The WWTP influents showed AR, ERα, and PAH activities at ng/L - μg/L and PXR and Nrf2 activities at μg/L - mg/L as bioanalytical equivalent concentrations of a reference compound for each bioassay. These bioactivities decreased along with the WWTP treatment train, with significant removals achieved by the secondary biological treatment processes. Cytotoxicity was observed only for some municipal wastewater (M-WWTP) influents but was below the limit of quantification for most cases. The influent and effluent bioactivities observed in this study were mostly comparable to those reported in other WWTPs in the literature. Comparison of the bioactivities with the effect-based trigger (EBT) values indicates that the impact of WWTP effluents on receiving water quality was low for most endpoints. For Nrf2, however, further investigation is required to evaluate the observed high bioactivities compared with the current EBT. The observed ERα activity could partly be explained by the presence of some steroid estrogens. Overall, our results contribute to an important database for the concentrations and removal efficiencies of bioactive chemicals in WWTPs and demonstrate bioassays as a useful tool for urban water quality monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yegyun Choi
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Young Jung
- Water Quality Institute, Busan Water Authority, Kimhae 50804, Republic of Korea
| | - Woorim Lee
- Water Quality Institute, Busan Water Authority, Kimhae 50804, Republic of Korea; Environment & Energy Research Laboratory, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangki Choi
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Heejong Son
- Water Quality Institute, Busan Water Authority, Kimhae 50804, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yunho Lee
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Bertanza G, Steimberg N, Pedrazzani R, Boniotti J, Ceretti E, Mazzoleni G, Menghini M, Urani C, Zerbini I, Feretti D. Wastewater toxicity removal: Integrated chemical and effect-based monitoring of full-scale conventional activated sludge and membrane bioreactor plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158071. [PMID: 35988629 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The literature is currently lacking effect-based monitoring studies targeted at evaluating the performance of full-scale membrane bioreactor plants. In this research, a monitoring campaign was performed at a full-scale wastewater treatment facility with two parallel lines (traditional activated sludge and membrane bioreactor). Beside the standard parameters (COD, nitrogen, phosphorus, and metals), 6 polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, 29 insecticides, 2 herbicides, and 3 endocrine disrupting compounds were measured. A multi-tiered battery of bioassays complemented the investigation, targeting different toxic modes of action and employing various biological systems (uni/multicellular, prokaryotes/eukaryotes, trophic level occupation). A traffic light scoring approach was proposed to quickly visualize the impact of treatment on overall toxicity that occurred after the exposure to raw and concentrated wastewater. Analysis of the effluents of the CAS and MBR lines show very good performance of the two systems for removal of organic micropollutants and metals. The most noticeable differences between CAS and MBR occurred in the concentration of suspended solids; chemical analyses did not show major differences. On the other hand, bioassays demonstrated better performance for the MBR. Both treatment lines complied with the Italian law's "ecotoxicity standard for effluent discharge in surface water". Yet, residual biological activity was still detected, demonstrating the adequacy and sensitivity of the toxicological tools, which, by their inherent nature, allow the overall effects of complex mixtures to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Bertanza
- DICATAM-Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze 43, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Nathalie Steimberg
- MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; DSCS-Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pedrazzani
- MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; DIMI-Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Jennifer Boniotti
- DSCS-Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Ceretti
- DSMC-Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Mazzoleni
- MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; DSCS-Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Michele Menghini
- DIMI-Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Chiara Urani
- MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; DISAT-Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Zerbini
- DSMC-Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Donatella Feretti
- MISTRAAL Interdepartmental Research Center - MISTRAL - Inter-University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", DSCS, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; DSMC-Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, I-25123 Brescia, Italy.
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11
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Finckh S, Buchinger S, Escher BI, Hollert H, König M, Krauss M, Leekitratanapisan W, Schiwy S, Schlichting R, Shuliakevich A, Brack W. Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 170:107608. [PMID: 36343551 PMCID: PMC9720157 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In the present study on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in treated wastewater, we used chemical and effect-based tools to analyse 56 wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents from 15 European countries. The main objectives were (i) to compare three different receptor-based estrogenicity assays (ERα-GeneBLAzer, p-YES, ERα-CALUX®), and (ii) to investigate a combined approach of chemical target analysis and receptor-based testing for estrogenicity, glucocorticogenic activity, androgenicity and progestagenic activity (ERα-, GR-, AR- and PR-GeneBLAzer assays, respectively) in treated wastewater. A total of 56 steroids and phenols were detected at concentrations ranging from 25 pg/L (estriol, E3) up to 2.4 μg/L (cortisone). WWTP effluents, which passed an advanced treatment via ozonation or via activated carbon, were found to be less contaminated, in terms of lower or no detection of steroids and phenols, as well as hormone receptor-mediated effects. This result was confirmed by the effect screening, including the three ERα-bioassays. In the GeneBLAzer assays, ERα-activity was detected in 82 %, and GR-activity in 73 % of the samples, while AR- and PR-activity were only measured in 14 % and 21 % of the samples, respectively. 17β-estradiol was confirmed as the estrogen dominating the observed estrogenic mixture effect and triamcinolone acetonide was the dominant driver of glucocorticogenic activity. The comparison of bioanalytical equivalent concentrations (BEQ) predicted from the detected concentrations and the relative effect potency (BEQchem) with measured BEQ (BEQbio) demonstrated good correlations of chemical target analysis and receptor-based testing results with deviations mostly within a factor of 10. Bioassay-specific effect-based trigger values (EBTs) from the literature, but also newly calculated EBTs based on previously proposed derivation options, were applied and allowed a preliminary assessment of the water quality of the tested WWTP effluent samples. Overall, this study demonstrates the high potential of linking chemical with effect-based analysis in water quality assessment with regard to EDC contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Finckh
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Buchinger
- Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Federal Institute for Hydrology - BfG, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Beate I Escher
- Department of Cell Toxicology, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maria König
- Department of Cell Toxicology, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Warich Leekitratanapisan
- Environmental Toxicology Unit - GhEnToxLab, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sabrina Schiwy
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Rita Schlichting
- Department of Cell Toxicology, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Aliaksandra Shuliakevich
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Werner Brack
- Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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12
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Simon E, Riegraf C, Schifferli A, Olbrich D, Bucher T, Vermeirssen ELM. Evaluation of Three ISO Estrogen Receptor Transactivation Assays Applied to 52 Domestic Effluent Samples. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:2512-2526. [PMID: 35876436 PMCID: PMC9826432 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens are released to the aquatic environment by wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents and can affect wildlife. In the last three decades, many in vitro assay platforms have been developed to detect and quantify estrogenicity in water. In 2018, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standardized protocols became available for three types of in vitro estrogen receptor transactivation assays (ERTAs) detecting estrogenicity in 96-well plates (ISO19040 1-3). Two ERTAs-lyticase Yeast Estrogen Screen (L-YES) and Arxula YES (A-YES)-use genetically modified yeast strains, whereas the third utilizes stably transfected human cells. One human cell based assay is ERα-CALUX, which is based on a genetically modified human bone osteosarcoma cell line. In the present study, we characterized the performance, comparability, and effectiveness of these three ERTAs, including an evaluation involving proposed water quality thresholds (effect-based trigger values [EBTs]). For a robust evaluation, we collected 52 effluent samples over three sampling campaigns at 15 different WWTPs in Switzerland. Estrogen receptor transactivation assay results were correlated and compared with results from chemical analysis targeting known estrogens. The three ERTAs showed comparable data over all campaigns. However, the selection of EBTs plays a significant role in the interpretation and comparison of bioassay results to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable water quality. Applying a fixed cross-assay EBT for effluent of 4 ng L-1 resulted in varying numbers of threshold exceedances ranging between zero and four samples depending on the ERTA used. Using assay-specific EBTs showed exceedances in eight samples (ERα-CALUX) and in one sample (A-YES), respectively. Thus, proposed EBTs do not produce similar risk profiles across samples and further refinement of assay-specific EBTs is needed to account for assay-specific differences and to enable the application of ERTAs as effect-based methods in environmental monitoring. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2512-2526. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Simon
- Swiss Centre for Applied EcotoxicologyDübendorfSwitzerland
- Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division, Industrial Chemicals SectionFederal Office for the EnvironmentBernSwitzerland
| | | | | | - Daniel Olbrich
- Swiss Centre for Applied EcotoxicologyDübendorfSwitzerland
| | - Thomas Bucher
- Swiss Centre for Applied EcotoxicologyDübendorfSwitzerland
- Current affiliation: ETH ZurichLehrlabor BiologieZürichSwitzerland
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13
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Dávila-Santiago E, Shi C, Mahadwar G, Medeghini B, Insinga L, Hutchinson R, Good S, Jones GD. Machine Learning Applications for Chemical Fingerprinting and Environmental Source Tracking Using Non-target Chemical Data. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4080-4090. [PMID: 35297611 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A frequent goal of chemical forensic analyses is to select a panel of diagnostic chemical features─colloquially termed a chemical fingerprint─that can predict the presence of a source in a novel sample. However, most of the developed chemical fingerprinting workflows are qualitative in nature. Herein, we report on a quantitative machine learning workflow. Grab samples (n = 51) were collected from five chemical sources, including agricultural runoff, headwaters, livestock manure, (sub)urban runoff, and municipal wastewater. Support vector classification was used to select the top 10, 25, 50, and 100 chemical features that best discriminate each source from all others. The cross-validation balanced accuracy was 92-100% for all sources (n = 1,000 iterations). When screening for diagnostic features from each source in samples collected from four local creeks, presence probabilities were low for all sources, except for wastewater at two downstream locations in a single creek. Upon closer investigation, a wastewater treatment facility was located ∼3 km upstream of the nearest sample location. In addition, using simulated in silico mixtures, the workflow can distinguish presence and absence of some sources at 10,000-fold dilutions. These results strongly suggest that this workflow can select diagnostic subsets of chemical features that can be used to quantitatively predict the presence/absence of various sources at trace levels in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Dávila-Santiago
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Cheng Shi
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Gouri Mahadwar
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Bridgette Medeghini
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Logan Insinga
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Rebecca Hutchinson
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-5501, United States
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3803, United States
| | - Stephen Good
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
| | - Gerrad D Jones
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-3906, United States
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14
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Robitaille J, Denslow ND, Escher BI, Kurita-Oyamada HG, Marlatt V, Martyniuk CJ, Navarro-Martín L, Prosser R, Sanderson T, Yargeau V, Langlois VS. Towards regulation of Endocrine Disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in water resources using bioassays - A guide to developing a testing strategy. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 205:112483. [PMID: 34863984 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in every environmental medium and are chemically diverse. Their presence in water resources can negatively impact the health of both human and wildlife. Currently, there are no mandatory screening mandates or regulations for EDC levels in complex water samples globally. Bioassays, which allow quantifying in vivo or in vitro biological effects of chemicals are used commonly to assess acute toxicity in water. The existing OECD framework to identify single-compound EDCs offers a set of bioassays that are validated for the Estrogen-, Androgen-, and Thyroid hormones, and for Steroidogenesis pathways (EATS). In this review, we discussed bioassays that could be potentially used to screen EDCs in water resources, including in vivo and in vitro bioassays using invertebrates, fish, amphibians, and/or mammalians species. Strengths and weaknesses of samples preparation for complex water samples are discussed. We also review how to calculate the Effect-Based Trigger values, which could serve as thresholds to determine if a given water sample poses a risk based on existing quality standards. This work aims to assist governments and regulatory agencies in developing a testing strategy towards regulation of EDCs in water resources worldwide. The main recommendations include 1) opting for internationally validated cell reporter in vitro bioassays to reduce animal use & cost; 2) testing for cell viability (a critical parameter) when using in vitro bioassays; and 3) evaluating the recovery of the water sample preparation method selected. This review also highlights future research avenues for the EDC screening revolution (e.g., 3D tissue culture, transgenic animals, OMICs, and Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Robitaille
- Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Beate I Escher
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Vicki Marlatt
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Laia Navarro-Martín
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Thomas Sanderson
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, INRS, Laval, QC, Canada
| | | | - Valerie S Langlois
- Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Institut National de La Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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15
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Kienle C, Werner I, Fischer S, Lüthi C, Schifferli A, Besselink H, Langer M, McArdell CS, Vermeirssen ELM. Evaluation of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant with ozonation and different post-treatments using a broad range of in vitro and in vivo bioassays. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 212:118084. [PMID: 35114528 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Micropollutants present in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) after biological treatment are largely eliminated by effective advanced technologies such as ozonation. Discharge of contaminants into freshwater ecosystems can thus be minimized, while simultaneously protecting drinking water resources. However, ozonation can lead to reactive and potentially toxic transformation products. To remove these, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment recommends additional "post-treatment" of ozonated WWTP effluent using sand filtration, but other treatments may be similarly effective. In this study, 48 h composite wastewater samples were collected before and after full-scale ozonation, and after post-treatments (full-scale sand filtration, pilot-scale fresh and pre-loaded granular activated carbon, and fixed and moving beds). Ecotoxicological tests were performed to quantify the changes in water quality following different treatment steps. These included standard in vitro bioassays for the detection of endocrine, genotoxic and mutagenic effects, as well as toxicity to green algae and bacteria, and flow-through in vivo bioassays using oligochaetes and early life stages of rainbow trout. Results show that ozonation reduced a number of ecotoxicological effects of biologically treated wastewater by 66 - 93%: It improved growth and photosynthesis of green algae, decreased toxicity to luminescent bacteria, reduced concentrations of hormonally active contaminants and significantly changed expression of biomarker genes in rainbow trout liver. Bioassay results showed that ozonation did not produce problematic levels of reaction products overall. Small increases in toxicity observed in a few samples were reduced or eliminated by post-treatments. However, only relatively fresh granular activated carbon (analyzed at 13,000 - 20,000 bed volumes) significantly reduced effects additionally (by up to 66%) compared to ozonation alone. Inhibition of algal photosynthesis, rainbow trout liver histopathology and biomarker gene expression proved to be sufficiently sensitive endpoints to detect the change in water quality achieved by post-treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Kienle
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Inge Werner
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Fischer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Christina Lüthi
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Schifferli
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Harrie Besselink
- BioDetection Systems B.V. (BDS), Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Netherlands
| | - Miriam Langer
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christa S McArdell
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
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16
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Hamilton CM, Winter MJ, Margiotta-Casaluci L, Owen SF, Tyler CR. Are synthetic glucocorticoids in the aquatic environment a risk to fish? ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 162:107163. [PMID: 35240385 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The glucocorticosteroid, or glucocorticoid (GC), system is largely conserved across vertebrates and plays a central role in numerous vital physiological processes including bone development, immunomodulation, and modification of glucose metabolism and the induction of stress-related behaviours. As a result of their wide-ranging actions, synthetic GCs are widely prescribed for numerous human and veterinary therapeutic purposes and consequently have been detected extensively within the aquatic environment. Synthetic GCs designed for humans are pharmacologically active in non-mammalian vertebrates, including fish, however they are generally detected in surface waters at low (ng/L) concentrations. In this review, we assess the potential environmental risk of synthetic GCs to fish by comparing available experimental data and effect levels in fish with those in mammals. We found the majority of compounds were predicted to have insignificant risk to fish, however some compounds were predicted to be of moderate and high risk to fish, although the dataset of compounds used for this analysis was small. Given the common mode of action and high level of inter-species target conservation exhibited amongst the GCs, we also give due consideration to the potential for mixture effects, which may be particularly significant when considering the potential for environmental impact from this class of pharmaceuticals. Finally, we also provide recommendations for further research to more fully understand the potential environmental impact of this relatively understudied group of commonly prescribed human and veterinary drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles M Hamilton
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Matthew J Winter
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Luigi Margiotta-Casaluci
- Department of Analytical, Environmental & Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Stewart F Owen
- AstraZeneca, Global Environment, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 2NA, UK
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK.
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17
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Papa M, Dogruer G, Bailey D, Leusch FDL. Anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge has no effect on glucocorticoid and anti-progestagenic activity but increases estrogenicity three-fold. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 286:131753. [PMID: 34358896 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although the recovery and beneficial reuse of organic matter and nutrients from sludge represents an important move towards environmental sustainability, the accumulation of chemicals in biosolid-amended soils could pose serious environmental and human health risks. However, (eco)toxicological profiling of complex chemical mixtures in biosolids is currently limited. In particular, the effect of anaerobic digestion (AD), the most common stabilization process for sewage sludge, on the (eco)toxicity of those complex mixtures is poorly studied. In this work, we fill this research gap by applying an effect-based monitoring approach to screen sludge samples (n = 4) from a full-scale sewage treatment plant before and after conventional mesophilic (37 °C) AD using a battery of cell-based in vitro bioassays for four types of hormonal activity: estrogenic, androgenic, progestagenic and glucocorticoid activity, both in agonist and antagonist modes. We detected estrogenic, glucocorticoid and anti-progestagenic activity in all sludge samples. The glucocorticoid and anti-progestagenic activity remained mostly unchanged after AD treatment, but estrogenicity increased three-fold, likely as a result of bioactivation processes in the digestor. This study presents the first report on the concentration and fate of glucocorticoid and anti-progestagenic activity in AD. Future research should apply bioanalytical tools to a wider range of sludge samples to get a better understanding of the typical hormonal activity in sludge and develop effect-based trigger (EBT) values for biosolids to help interpret the risk posed by the hormonal activity detected in sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Papa
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia.
| | - Gulsah Dogruer
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
| | - David Bailey
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
| | - Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
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18
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Musee N, Kebaabetswe LP, Tichapondwa S, Tubatsi G, Mahaye N, Leareng SK, Nomngongo PN. Occurrence, Fate, Effects, and Risks of Dexamethasone: Ecological Implications Post-COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182111291. [PMID: 34769808 PMCID: PMC8583091 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has led to the widespread use of therapeutics, including dexamethasone (DEXA). DEXA, a synthetic glucocorticoid, is among the widely administered drugs used to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The global COVID-19 surge in infections, consequent increasing hospitalizations, and other DEXA applications have raised concerns on eminent adverse ecological implications to aquatic ecosystems. Here, we aim to summarize published studies on DEXA occurrence, fate, and effects on organisms in natural and engineered systems as, pre-COVID, the drug has been identified as an emerging environmental contaminant. The results demonstrated a significant reduction of DEXA in wastewater treatment plants, with a small portion, including its transformation products (TPs), being released into downstream waters. Fish and crustaceans are the most susceptible species to DEXA exposure in the parts-per-billion range, suggesting potential deleterious ecological effects. However, there are data deficits on the implications of DEXA to marine and estuarine systems and wildlife. To improve DEXA management, toxicological outcomes of DEXA and formed TPs should entail long-term studies from whole organisms to molecular effects in actual environmental matrices and at realistic exposure concentrations. This can aid in striking a fine balance of saving human lives and protecting ecological integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ndeke Musee
- Emerging Contaminants Ecological Risk Assessment (ECERA) Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; (N.M.); (S.K.L.)
- Correspondence: or
| | - Lemme Prica Kebaabetswe
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana; (L.P.K.); (G.T.)
| | - Shepherd Tichapondwa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Water Utilization and Environmental Engineering Division, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa;
| | - Gosaitse Tubatsi
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye, Botswana; (L.P.K.); (G.T.)
| | - Ntombikayise Mahaye
- Emerging Contaminants Ecological Risk Assessment (ECERA) Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; (N.M.); (S.K.L.)
| | - Samuel Keeng Leareng
- Emerging Contaminants Ecological Risk Assessment (ECERA) Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa; (N.M.); (S.K.L.)
| | - Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo
- Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)/National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI), Nanotechnology for Water, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa;
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19
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Sossalla NA, Nivala J, Reemtsma T, Schlichting R, König M, Forquet N, van Afferden M, Müller RA, Escher BI. Removal of micropollutants and biological effects by conventional and intensified constructed wetlands treating municipal wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 201:117349. [PMID: 34171643 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Seven treatment wetlands and a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were weekly monitored over the course of one year for removal of conventional wastewater parameters, selected micropollutants (caffeine, ibuprofen, naproxen, benzotriazole, diclofenac, acesulfame, and carbamazepine) and biological effects. The treatment wetland designs investigated include a horizontal subsurface flow (HF) wetland and a variety of wetlands with intensification (aeration, two-stages, or reciprocating flow). Complementary to the common approach of analyzing individual chemicals, in vitro bioassays can detect the toxicity of a mixture of known and unknown components given in a water sample. A panel of five in vitro cell-based reporter gene bioassays was selected to cover environmentally relevant endpoints (AhR: indicative of activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor; PPARγ: binding to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; ERα: activation of the estrogen receptor alpha; GR: activation of the glucocorticoid receptor; oxidative stress response). While carbamazepine was persistent in the intensified treatment wetlands, mean monthly mass removal of up to 51% was achieved in the HF wetland. The two-stage wetland system showed highest removal efficacy for all biological effects (91% to >99%). The removal efficacy for biological effects ranged from 56% to 77% for the HF wetland and 60% to 99% for the WWTP. Bioanalytical equivalent concentrations (BEQs) for AhR, PPARγ, and oxidative stress response were often below the recommended effect-based trigger (EBT) values for surface water, indicating the great benefit for using nature-based solutions for water treatment. Intensified treatment wetlands remove both individual micropollutants and mixture effects more efficiently than conventional (non-aerated) HF wetlands, and in some cases, the WWTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine A Sossalla
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Institute of Urban Water Management, Dresden University of Technology, Bergstrasse 66, Dresden 01069, Germany.
| | - Jaime Nivala
- Research Unit REVERSAAL, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, Villeurbanne Cedex 69625, France.
| | - Thorsten Reemtsma
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Linnéstrasse 3, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
| | - Rita Schlichting
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany.
| | - Maria König
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany.
| | - Nicolas Forquet
- Research Unit REVERSAAL, French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, Villeurbanne Cedex 69625, France.
| | - Manfred van Afferden
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany.
| | - Roland A Müller
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany.
| | - Beate I Escher
- Department of Cell Toxicology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 04318, Germany; Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstraße 94-96, Tübingen 72076, Germany.
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20
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Houtman CJ, Brewster K, Ten Broek R, Duijve B, van Oorschot Y, Rosielle M, Lamoree MH, Steen RJCA. Characterisation of (anti-)progestogenic and (anti-)androgenic activities in surface and wastewater using high resolution effectdirected analysis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 153:106536. [PMID: 33812044 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The quality of surface waters is threatened by pollution with low concentrations of bioactive chemicals, among which those interfering with steroid hormone systems. Induced by reports of anti-progestogenic activity in surface waters, a two-year four-weekly survey of (anti-)progestogenic activity was performed at three surface water locations in the Netherlands that serve as abstraction points for the production of drinking water. As certain endogenous and synthetic progestogenic compounds are also potent (anti-)androgens, these activities were also investigated. Anti-progestogenic and anti-androgenic activities were detected in the majority of the monitoring samples, sometimes in concentrations exceeding effect-based trigger values, indicating the need for further research. To characterize the compounds responsible for the activities, a high resolution Effect-Directed Analysis (hr-EDA) panel was combined with PR and AR CALUX bioassays, performed in agonistic and antagonistic modes. The influent and effluent of a domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were included as effluent is a possible emission source of active compounds. As drivers for androgenic and progestogenic activities several native and synthetic steroid hormones were identified in the WWTP samples, namely androstenedione, testosterone, DHT, levonorgestrel and cyproterone acetate. The pesticides metolachlor and cyazofamid were identified as contributors to both the anti-progestogenic and anti-androgenic activities in surface water. In addition, epiconazole contributed to the anti-progestogenic activities in the rivers Rhine and Enclosed Meuse. This study showed the strength of hr-EDA for the identification of bioactive compounds in environmental samples and shed light on the drivers of (anti-)progestogenic and (anti-)androgenic activities in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corine J Houtman
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Kevin Brewster
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Rob Ten Broek
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Bente Duijve
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | | | - Martine Rosielle
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Marja H Lamoree
- Department Environment & Health, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruud J C A Steen
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
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21
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Islam R, Yu RMK, Andrew-Priestley M, Smith N, Rahman MM, Tran TKA, Connor WAO, MacFarlane GR. Secondary treatment phase of tertiary wastewater treatment works significantly reduces estrogenic load. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 200:117257. [PMID: 34077838 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Estrogenic compounds enter waterways via effluents from wastewater treatment works (WWTW), thereby indicating a potential risk to organisms inhabiting adjacent receiving waters. However, little is known about the loads or concentrations of estrogenic compounds that enter Australian WWTWs, the efficiency of removing estrogenic compounds throughout the various stages of tertiary WWTW processes (which are common in Australia), nor the concentrations released into estuarine or marine receiving waters, and the associated risk for aquatic taxa residing in these environments. Therefore, seven estrogenic compounds, comprising the natural estrogens estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3), the synthetic estrogen (EE2), and the industrial chemicals bisphenol A (BPA), 4-t-octyl phenol (4-t-OP) and 4-nonyl phenol (4-NP), in wastewater samples were quantified via liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) after solid-phase extraction at different stages of wastewater treatment and associated receiving waters. The concentrations of the target compounds in wastewater ranged from < LOQ (limit of quantification) to 158 ng/L for Tanilba Bay WWTW and < LOQ to 162 ng/L for Belmont WWTW. Most target compounds significantly declined after the secondary treatment phase. Appreciable removal efficiency throughout the treatment process was observed with removal from 39.21 to 99.98% of influent values at both WWTWs. The reduction of the natural estrogens (E1, E2 and E3) and 4-t-OP were significantly greater than EE2, BPA, and 4-NP in both WWTWs. Risk quotients (RQs) were calculated to assess potential ecological risks from individual estrogenic compounds. In predicted diluted effluents, no targeted compounds showed any ecological risk (RQ ≤1.65 × 10-2) at both WWTWs. Similarly, all RQs for shore samples at both WWTWs were below 1. Finally, the hazard index (HI), which represents combined estrogenic contaminants' ecological risk, indicated no mentionable risk for predicted diluted effluents (HI = 0.0097 to 0.0218) as well as shoreline samples (HI = 0.393 to 0.522) in the receiving estuarine or marine waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafiquel Islam
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia 7003, Bangladesh
| | - Richard Man Kit Yu
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | | | - Nathan Smith
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Thi Kim Anh Tran
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; School of Agriculture and Resources, Vinh University, Viet Nam
| | - Wayne A O' Connor
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW, 2316, Australia
| | - Geoff R MacFarlane
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
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22
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Blondet A, Martin G, Paulic L, Perrard MH, Durand P. An in vitro bioassay to assess the potential global toxicity of waters on spermatogenesis: a pilot study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:26606-26616. [PMID: 33495953 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12480-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many toxicants are present in water as a mixture. Male infertility is one of the environmental impacts in developed countries. Using our rat seminiferous tubule culture model, we evaluated the effects of waters of different origins, on several parameters of the seminiferous epithelium. Concentrated culture medium was diluted with the waters to be tested (final concentrations of the tested waters were between 8 and 80%). The integrity of the blood-testis barrier was assessed by the trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER). The levels of mRNAs specific of Sertoli cells, of cellular junctions, of each population of germ cells, of androgen receptor, of estrogen receptor α, and of aromatase were also studied. We report, here, the results obtained with ten waters, some of them possessing a negative effect on spermatogenesis. The results showed that, according to the tested waters, their effects on the parameters studied might be quite different indicating many different mechanisms of toxicity, including some endocrine-disrupting effects. It has been reported that men with impaired semen parameters have an increased mortality rate suggesting semen quality may provide a fundamental biomarker of overall male health. Hence, we have developed a relevant in vitro bioassay allowing the evaluation of the potential toxicity of different types of waters on male fertility and to assess some aspects of their mechanism of action. In addition to the TEER measure, the number and/or the identity of the studied mRNAs can be largely increased and/or modified, thus enhancing the possibility of using this model as a "warning system."
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonine Blondet
- Kallistem, Vétagrosup, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - Guillaume Martin
- Kallistem, Vétagrosup, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
| | - Laurent Paulic
- Tame-Water, 3 Rue Jean Jaurès, 85000, La Roche sur Yon, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Perrard
- INSERM U 1208, Institut Cellule Souche et Cerveau, 18 Avenue du Doyen Lépine, 69500, Bron, France
| | - Philippe Durand
- Kallistem, Vétagrosup, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy-l'Etoile, France.
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23
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Riegraf C, Reifferscheid G, Moscovici L, Shakibai D, Hollert H, Belkin S, Buchinger S. Coupling high-performance thin-layer chromatography with a battery of cell-based assays reveals bioactive components in wastewater and landfill leachates. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 214:112092. [PMID: 33690008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Over the last two decades, effect-directed analysis (EDA) gained importance as a seminal screening tool for tracking biological effects of environmental organic micro-pollutants (MPs). As EDA using high-performance liquid chromatography and bioassays is costly and time consuming, recent implementations of this approach have combined high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with effect-based methods (EBMs) using cell-based bioassays, enabling the detection of estrogenic, androgenic, genotoxic, photosystem II (PSII)- inhibiting, and dioxin-like sample components on a HPTLC plate. In the present study, the developed methodologies were applied as a HPTLC-based bioassay battery, to investigate toxicant elimination efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and to characterize the toxic potential of landfill leachates. Activity levels detected in untreated landfill leachates, expressed as reference compound equivalence (EQ) concentration, were up to 16.8 µg β-naphthoflavone-EQ L-1 (indicating the degree of dioxin-like activity), 1.9 µg estradiol-EQ L-1 (estrogenicity) and 8.3 µg diuron-EQ L‑1 (PSII-inhibition), dropping to maximal concentrations of 47 ng β-naphthoflavone-EQ L-1, 0.7 µg estradiol-EQ L-1 and 53.1 ng diuron-EQ L-1 following treatment. Bisphenol A (BPA) is suggested to be the main contributor to estrogenic activity, with concentrations determined by the planar yeast estrogen screen corresponding well to results from chemical analysis. In the investigated WWTP samples, a decrease of estrogenic activity of 6-100% was observed following treatment for most of the active fractions, except of a 20% increase in one fraction (Rf = 0.568). In contrast, androgenicity with concentrations up to 640 ng dihydrotestosterone-EQ L-1 was completely removed by treatment. Interestingly, genotoxic activity increased over the WWTP processes, releasing genotoxic fractions into receiving waters. We propose this combined HPTLC and EBM battery to contribute to an efficient, cheap, fast and robust screening of environmental samples; such an assay panel would allow to gain an estimate of potential biological effects for prioritization prior to substance identification, and its routine application will support an inexpensive identification of the toxicity drivers as a first tier in an EDA strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Riegraf
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department G3 Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, D-52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Georg Reifferscheid
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department G3 Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Liat Moscovici
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Dror Shakibai
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Henner Hollert
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, D-52074 Aachen, Germany; Goethe University Frankfurt, Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shimshon Belkin
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Institute of Life Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Sebastian Buchinger
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department G3 Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
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24
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Bain PA, Gregg A, Pandey AK, Mudiam MKR, Neale PA, Kumar A. Using bioanalytical tools to detect and track organic micropollutants in the Ganga River near two major cities. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 404:124135. [PMID: 33049624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Major rivers in India are subject to ongoing impacts from urban drain discharges, most of which contain high levels of domestic and industrial wastewater and stormwater. The aim of the present study was to determine the levels of bioactive organic micropollutants at the discharge points of major urban drains in comparison to upstream and downstream sites. To achieve this, we employed a panel of in vitro bioanalytical tools to quantify estrogenic, androgenic, progestogenic, glucocorticoid and peroxisome proliferator-like activity in water extracts collected from two Indian cities in the Ganga Basin. Cytotoxicity of the water extracts in a human-derived cell line and the potential to cause oxidative stress in a fish cell line were also investigated. We found high levels of activity for all endpoints in samples directly receiving urban drain discharge and low levels at sites upstream from drain discharges. Estrogenicity was detected at levels equivalent to 10 ng/L 17β-estradiol, representing a high likelihood of biomarker effects in fish. Sites located downstream from drain discharges exhibited low to intermediate activity in all assays. This study demonstrates the importance of managing urban drain discharges and the utility of applying bioanalytical tools to assess water quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bain
- CSIRO Land and Water, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond 5062, South Australia, Australia
| | - Adrienne Gregg
- CSIRO Land and Water, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond 5062, South Australia, Australia
| | - Alok K Pandey
- Nanomaterial Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Vishvigyan Bhavan, 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226001, India
| | - Mohana Krishna Reddy Mudiam
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Analytical & Structural Chemistry Department, Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007, India
| | - Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport 4222, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anu Kumar
- CSIRO Land and Water, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond 5062, South Australia, Australia.
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25
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Weizel A, Schlüsener MP, Dierkes G, Wick A, Ternes TA. Fate and behavior of progestogens in activated sludge treatment: Kinetics and transformation products. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 188:116515. [PMID: 33125988 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the high ecotoxicological potential of progestogens (PGs) on the reproductive system of aquatic organisms. Yet the ubiquitous presence of several PGs in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents indicates an incomplete removal during treatment. To investigate the fate and behavior of PGs during biological wastewater treatment, nine commonly used PGs were incubated in aerobic lab-scale degradation experiments with activated sludge taken from a municipal WWTP. The degradation kinetics revealed a fast removal after 48 h for most of the compounds. Cyproterone acetate and dienogest were the most recalcitrant of the analyzed steroids with half-lives of 8.65 h and 4.55 h, respectively. Thus, only moderate removals of these PGs can be predicted in full-scale WWTPs. Moreover, numerous transformation products (TPs) were detected via high-resolution mass spectrometry. Hydrogenation or dehydrogenation of ring A and non-selective hydroxylations of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone derivatives (medroxyprogesterone acetate, chlormadinone acetate, cyproterone acetate) as well as for 19-nortestosterone derivatives (dienogest, norethisterone acetate, etonogestrel) were observed as major transformation reactions. Seven of the identified TPs were confirmed by reference standards. The biodegradation of cyproterone acetate revealed an almost quantitative transformation to 3α‑hydroxy cyproterone acetate which is reported to be genotoxic. In a comparative evaluation of the TPs formed and the steroid structure, it was observed that molecular structure played a role in the inhibition of several transformation reactions, explaining the increased recalcitrance of these compounds. In addition, aromatization of the steroid ring A was identified for the 19-nortestosterone derivatives leading to the formation of estrogen-like TPs. For instance, the degradation of norethisterone acetate led to the formation of 17α-ethinylestradiol, a well-known and very potent synthetic estrogen. The evidence of the conversion of progestogenic to estrogenic compounds and the formation of potentially hazardous TPs indicates the need of a more comprehensive environmental risk assessment for synthetic steroids. Two of the newly identified TPs (3α-hydroxy cyproterone acetate and ∆9,11-dehydro-17α-cyanomethyl estradiol) were detected in WWTP effluents for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Weizel
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Aquatic Chemistry, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Michael P Schlüsener
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Aquatic Chemistry, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Georg Dierkes
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Aquatic Chemistry, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Arne Wick
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Aquatic Chemistry, 56068, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Thomas A Ternes
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Department of Aquatic Chemistry, 56068, Koblenz, Germany.
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26
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Neale PA, O’Brien JW, Glauch L, König M, Krauss M, Mueller JF, Tscharke B, Escher BI. Wastewater treatment efficacy evaluated with in vitro bioassays. WATER RESEARCH X 2020; 9:100072. [PMID: 33089130 PMCID: PMC7559864 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Bioassays show promise as a complementary approach to chemical analysis to assess the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes as they can detect the mixture effects of all bioactive chemicals in a sample. We investigated the treatment efficacy of ten Australian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) covering 42% of the national population over seven consecutive days. Solid-phase extracts of influent and effluent were subjected to an in vitro test battery with six bioassays covering nine endpoints that captured the major modes of action detected in receiving surface waters. WWTP influents and effluents were compared on the basis of population- and flow-normalised effect loads, which provided insights into the biological effects exhibited by the mixture of chemicals before and after treatment. Effect removal efficacy varied between effect endpoints and depended on the treatment process. An ozonation treatment step had the best treatment efficacy, while WWTPs with only primary treatment resulted in poor removal of effects. Effect removal was generally better for estrogenic effects and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor than for inhibition of photosynthesis, which is consistent with the persistence of herbicides causing this effect. Cytotoxicity and oxidative stress response provided a sum parameter of all bioactive chemicals including transformation products and removal was poorer than for specific endpoints except for photosynthesis inhibition. Although more than 500 chemicals were analysed, the detected chemicals explained typically less than 10% of the measured biological effect, apart from algal toxicity, where the majority of the effect could be explained by one dominant herbicide, diuron. Overall, the current study demonstrated the utility of applying bioassays alongside chemical analysis to evaluate loads of chemical pollution reaching WWTPs and treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peta A. Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
- QAEHS – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
- Corresponding author. Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia.
| | - Jake W. O’Brien
- QAEHS – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Lisa Glauch
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maria König
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jochen F. Mueller
- QAEHS – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Ben Tscharke
- QAEHS – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
| | - Beate I. Escher
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia
- QAEHS – Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4102, Australia
- UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
- Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Environmental Toxicology, Centre for Applied Geoscience, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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27
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Houtman CJ, Ten Broek R, van Oorschot Y, Kloes D, van der Oost R, Rosielle M, Lamoree MH. High resolution effect-directed analysis of steroid hormone (ant)agonists in surface and wastewater quality monitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 80:103460. [PMID: 32738293 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2020.103460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring of chemical water quality is extremely challenging due to the large variety of compounds and the presence of biologically active compounds with unknown chemical identity. Previously, we developed a high resolution Effect-Directed Analysis (EDA) platform that combines liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry and parallel bioassay detection. In this study, the platform is combined with CALUX bioassays for (anti)androgenic, estrogenic and glucocorticoid activities, and the performance of the platform is evaluated. It appeared to render very repeatable results, with high recoveries of spiked compounds and high consistency between the mass spectrometric and bioassay results. Application of the platform to wastewater treatment plant effluent and surface water samples led to the identification of several compounds contributing to the measured activities. Eventually, a workflow is proposed for the application of the platform in a routine monitoring context. The workflow divides the platform into four phases, of which one to all can be performed depending on the research question and the results obtained. This allows one to make a balance between the effort put into the platform and the certainty and depth by which active compounds will be identified. The EDA platform is a valuable tool to identify unknown bioactive compounds, both in an academic setting as in the context of legislative, governmental or routine monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corine J Houtman
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands.
| | - R Ten Broek
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - Y van Oorschot
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - D Kloes
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - R van der Oost
- Department of Technology, Research and Engineering, Waternet Institute for the Urban Water Cycle, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Rosielle
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, the Netherlands
| | - M H Lamoree
- Department Environment & Health, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Neale PA, Grimaldi M, Boulahtouf A, Leusch FDL, Balaguer P. Assessing species-specific differences for nuclear receptor activation for environmental water extracts. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 185:116247. [PMID: 32758789 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In vitro bioassays are increasingly applied to detect endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in environmental waters. Most studies use human nuclear receptor assays, but this raises questions about their relevance for evaluating ecosystem health. The current study aimed to assess species-specific differences in the activation or inhibition of a range of human and zebrafish nuclear receptors by different water extracts. Wastewater and surface water extracts were run in transactivation assays indicative of the estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), progesterone receptor (PR), mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), pregnane X receptor (PXR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The transactivation assays were complemented with competitive binding assays for human AR, GR, PR and MR. In most cases, both human and zebrafish nuclear receptor activity were detected in the water extracts. Only some species-specific differences in potency and activity were observed. Water extracts were more active in zebrafish PXR compared to human PXR whereas the opposite was observed for PPARγ. Further, all water extracts inhibited zebrafish PR, while only one extract showed weak anti-progestagenic activity for human PR. Due to these observed differences, zebrafish nuclear receptor assays may be preferable over human nuclear receptor assays to assess the potential risks of EDCs to aquatic organisms. However, recognizing issues with availability of zebrafish nuclear receptor assays and the relatively small differences in responsiveness for many of the human and zebrafish nuclear receptors, including the widely studied ER, the current study supports the continued use of human nuclear receptor assays for water quality monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Qld, 4222, Australia.
| | - Marina Grimaldi
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Inserm U1194, Université Montpellier 1, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34290 Montpellier, France
| | - Abdelhay Boulahtouf
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Inserm U1194, Université Montpellier 1, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34290 Montpellier, France
| | - Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, Qld, 4222, Australia
| | - Patrick Balaguer
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), Inserm U1194, Université Montpellier 1, Institut régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34290 Montpellier, France
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29
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Medlock Kakaley E, Cardon MC, Gray LE, Hartig PC, Wilson VS. Generalized Concentration Addition Model Predicts Glucocorticoid Activity Bioassay Responses to Environmentally Detected Receptor-Ligand Mixtures. Toxicol Sci 2020; 168:252-263. [PMID: 30535411 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists have been detected in waste and surface waters domestically and around the world, but the way a mixture of these environmental compounds may elicit a total glucocorticoid activity response in water samples remains unknown. Therefore, we characterized 19 GR ligands using a CV1 cell line transcriptional activation assay applicable to water quality monitoring. Cells were treated with individual GR ligands, a fixed ratio mixture of full or partial agonists, or a nonequipotent mixture with full and partial agonists. Efficacy varied (48.09%-102.5%) and potency ranged over several orders of magnitude (1.278 × 10-10 to 3.93 × 10-8 M). Concentration addition (CA) and response addition (RA) mixtures models accurately predicted equipotent mixture responses of full agonists (r2 = 0.992 and 0.987, respectively). However, CA and RA models assume mixture compounds produce full agonist-like responses, and therefore they overestimated observed maximal efficacies for mixtures containing partial agonists. The generalized concentration addition (GCA) model mathematically permits < 100% maximal responses, and fell within the 95% confidence interval bands of mixture responses containing partial agonists. The GCA, but not CA and RA, model predictions of nonequipotent mixtures containing both full and partial agonists fell within the same statistical distribution as the observed values, reinforcing the practicality of the GCA model as the best overall model for predicting GR activation. Elucidating the mechanistic basis of GR activation by mixtures of previously detected environmental GR ligands will benefit the interpretation of environmental sample contents in future water quality monitoring studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Medlock Kakaley
- *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxicity Assessment Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Curriculum in Toxicology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Mary C Cardon
- *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxicity Assessment Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
| | - L Earl Gray
- *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxicity Assessment Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
| | - Phillip C Hartig
- *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxicity Assessment Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
| | - Vickie S Wilson
- *U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Toxicity Assessment Division, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711
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30
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Medlock Kakaley EK, Blackwell BR, Cardon MC, Conley JM, Evans N, Feifarek DJ, Furlong ET, Glassmeyer ST, Gray LE, Hartig PC, Kolpin DW, Mills MA, Rosenblum L, Villeneuve DL, Wilson VS. De Facto Water Reuse: Bioassay suite approach delivers depth and breadth in endocrine active compound detection. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 699:134297. [PMID: 31683213 PMCID: PMC9136853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Although endocrine disrupting compounds have been detected in wastewater and surface waters worldwide using a variety of in vitro effects-based screening tools, e.g. bioassays, few have examined potential attenuation of environmental contaminants by both natural (sorption, degradation, etc.) and anthropogenic (water treatment practices) processes. This study used several bioassays and quantitative chemical analyses to assess residence-time weighted samples at six sites along a river in the northeastern United States beginning upstream from a wastewater treatment plant outfall and proceeding downstream along the stream reach to a drinking water treatment plant. Known steroidal estrogens were quantified and changes in signaling pathway molecular initiating events (activation of estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, peroxisome proliferator-activated, pregnane X receptor, and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling networks) were identified in water extracts. In initial multi-endpoint assays geographic and receptor-specific endocrine activity patterns in transcription factor signatures and nuclear receptor activation were discovered. In subsequent single endpoint receptor-specific bioassays, estrogen (16 of 18 samples; 0.01 to 28 ng estradiol equivalents [E2Eqs]/L) glucocorticoid (3 of 18 samples; 1.8 to 21 ng dexamethasone equivalents [DexEqs]/L), and androgen (2 of 18 samples; 0.95 to 2.1 ng dihydrotestosterone equivalents [DHTEqs]/L) receptor transcriptional activation occurred above respective assay method detection limits (0.04 ng E2Eqs/L, 1.2 ng DexEqs/L, and 0.77 ng DHTEqs/L) in multiple sampling events. Estrogen activity, the most often detected, correlated well with measured concentrations of known steroidal estrogens (r2 = 0.890). Overall, activity indicative of multiple types of endocrine active compounds was highest in wastewater effluent samples, while activity downstream was progressively lower, and negligible in unfinished treated drinking water. Not only was estrogenic and glucocorticoid activity confirmed in the effluent by utilizing multiple methods concurrently, but other activated signaling networks that historically received less attention (i.e. peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) were also detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K Medlock Kakaley
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Brett R Blackwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, United States of America
| | - Mary C Cardon
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Justin M Conley
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Nicola Evans
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - David J Feifarek
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, United States of America
| | - Edward T Furlong
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Quality Laboratory, Denver, CO, United States of America
| | - Susan T Glassmeyer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - L Earl Gray
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Phillip C Hartig
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Dana W Kolpin
- U.S Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Iowa City, IA, United States of America
| | - Marc A Mills
- U.S Environmental Protection Agency, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | | | - Daniel L Villeneuve
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, MN, United States of America
| | - Vickie S Wilson
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America.
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31
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Gaw S, Harford A, Pettigrove V, Sevicke‐Jones G, Manning T, Ataria J, Cresswell T, Dafforn KA, Leusch FDL, Moggridge B, Cameron M, Chapman J, Coates G, Colville A, Death C, Hageman K, Hassell K, Hoak M, Gadd J, Jolley DF, Karami A, Kotzakoulakis K, Lim R, McRae N, Metzeling L, Mooney T, Myers J, Pearson A, Saaristo M, Sharley D, Stuthe J, Sutherland O, Thomas O, Tremblay L, Wood W, Boxall ABA, Rudd MA, Brooks BW. Towards Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for the Australasian Region of Oceania. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2019; 15:917-935. [PMID: 31273905 PMCID: PMC6899907 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental challenges persist across the world, including the Australasian region of Oceania, where biodiversity hotspots and unique ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef are common. These systems are routinely affected by multiple stressors from anthropogenic activities, and increasingly influenced by global megatrends (e.g., the food-energy-water nexus, demographic transitions to cities) and climate change. Here we report priority research questions from the Global Horizon Scanning Project, which aimed to identify, prioritize, and advance environmental quality research needs from an Australasian perspective, within a global context. We employed a transparent and inclusive process of soliciting key questions from Australasian members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Following submission of 78 questions, 20 priority research questions were identified during an expert workshop in Nelson, New Zealand. These research questions covered a range of issues of global relevance, including research needed to more closely integrate ecotoxicology and ecology for the protection of ecosystems, increase flexibility for prioritizing chemical substances currently in commerce, understand the impacts of complex mixtures and multiple stressors, and define environmental quality and ecosystem integrity of temporary waters. Some questions have specific relevance to Australasia, particularly the uncertainties associated with using toxicity data from exotic species to protect unique indigenous species. Several related priority questions deal with the theme of how widely international ecotoxicological data and databases can be applied to regional ecosystems. Other timely questions, which focus on improving predictive chemistry and toxicology tools and techniques, will be important to answer several of the priority questions identified here. Another important question raised was how to protect local cultural and social values and maintain indigenous engagement during problem formulation and identification of ecosystem protection goals. Addressing these questions will be challenging, but doing so promises to advance environmental sustainability in Oceania and globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Gaw
- School of Physical and Chemical SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Andrew Harford
- Department of the Environment and EnergyAustralian Government, DarwinAustralia
| | - Vincent Pettigrove
- Aquatic Environmental Stress Research CentreRMIT University, BundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Tom Cresswell
- Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology OrganisationLucas HeightsAustralia
| | | | - Frederic DL Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute and School of Environment and ScienceGriffith UniversityBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Bradley Moggridge
- Institute for Applied EcologyUniversity of CanberraCanberraAustralia
| | | | - John Chapman
- Office of Environment and HeritageNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Gary Coates
- Te Rūnanga o Ngāi TahuChristchurchNew Zealand
| | - Anne Colville
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Claire Death
- Faculty of Veterinary ScienceUniversity of MelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Kimberly Hageman
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUtah State University, LoganUtahUSA
| | - Kathryn Hassell
- Aquatic Environmental Stress Research CentreRMIT University, BundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | - Molly Hoak
- School of BiosciencesThe University of Melbourne, ParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Jennifer Gadd
- National Institute of Atmospheric and Water ResearchAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Dianne F Jolley
- Faculty of Science, University of Technology SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Ali Karami
- Environmental Futures Research InstituteGriffith UniversityBrisbaneAustralia
| | | | - Richard Lim
- Faculty of Science, University of Technology SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Nicole McRae
- School of Physical and Chemical SciencesUniversity of CanterburyChristchurchNew Zealand
| | | | - Thomas Mooney
- Department of the Environment and EnergyAustralian Government, DarwinAustralia
| | - Jackie Myers
- Aquatic Environmental Stress Research CentreRMIT University, BundooraVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Minna Saaristo
- School of Biological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneAustralia
| | - Dave Sharley
- Bio2Lab, Melbourne Innovation CentreGreensboroughAustralia
| | | | | | - Oliver Thomas
- School of Applied Chemistry and Environmental ScienceRMIT University, MelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Louis Tremblay
- Cawthron InstituteNelsonNew Zealand
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
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32
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Lundqvist J, Mandava G, Lungu-Mitea S, Lai FY, Ahrens L. In vitro bioanalytical evaluation of removal efficiency for bioactive chemicals in Swedish wastewater treatment plants. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7166. [PMID: 31073202 PMCID: PMC6509133 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43671-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical contamination of wastewater is a problem of great environmental concern, as it poses a hazard to both the ecosystem and to human health. In this study, we have performed a bioanalytical evaluation of the presence and removal efficiency for bioactive chemicals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), using in vitro assays for toxicity endpoints of high relevance for human health. Water samples were collected at the inlet and outlet of five Swedish WWTPs, all adopting a treatment technology including pretreatment, primary treatment (sedimenation), seconday treatment (biological processes), post-sedimentation, and sludge handling. The water samples were analyzed for cytotoxicity, estrogenicity, androgenicity, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity, oxidative stress response (Nrf2) and the ability to activate NFĸB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) signaling. We observed clear androgenic and estrogenic activities in all inlet samples. Androgenic and estrogenic activities were also observed in all outlet samples, but the activities were lower than the respective inlet sample. AhR activity was observed in all samples, with higher activities in the inlet samples compared to the outlet samples. The removal efficiency was found to be high for androgenic (>99% for two plants and 50–60% for two plants) and estrogenic (>90% for most plants) compounds, while the removal efficiency for AhR-inducing compounds was 50–60% for most plants and 16% for one plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Lundqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Geeta Mandava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Lungu-Mitea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Foon Yin Lai
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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Pedrazzani R, Bertanza G, Brnardić I, Cetecioglu Z, Dries J, Dvarionienė J, García-Fernández AJ, Langenhoff A, Libralato G, Lofrano G, Škrbić B, Martínez-López E, Meriç S, Pavlović DM, Papa M, Schröder P, Tsagarakis KP, Vogelsang C. Opinion paper about organic trace pollutants in wastewater: Toxicity assessment in a European perspective. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:3202-3221. [PMID: 30463169 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Pedrazzani
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze, 38 and University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Bertanza
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze, 43 and University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", University of Brescia, 25123, Italy.
| | - Ivan Brnardić
- Faculty of Metallurgy, University of Zagreb, Aleja narodnih heroja 3, 44103 Sisak, Croatia.
| | - Zeynep Cetecioglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Jan Dries
- Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Salesianenlaan 90, 2660 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Jolanta Dvarionienė
- Kaunas University of Technology, Institute of Environmental Engineering, Gedimino str. 50, 44239 Kaunas, Lithuania.
| | - Antonio J García-Fernández
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Campus of Espinardo, Spain.
| | - Alette Langenhoff
- Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708, WG, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Giovanni Libralato
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia ed. 7, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Giusy Lofrano
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli", University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132-84084 Fisciano, Italy.
| | - Biljana Škrbić
- Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Emma Martínez-López
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100, Campus of Espinardo, Spain.
| | - Süreyya Meriç
- Çorlu Engineering Faculty, Environmental Engineering Department, Namik Kemal University, Çorlu, 59860, Tekirdağ, Turkey.
| | - Dragana Mutavdžić Pavlović
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Matteo Papa
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, Via Branze, 43 and University Research Center "Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health", University of Brescia, 25123, Italy.
| | - Peter Schröder
- Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Konstantinos P Tsagarakis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, Vas. Sofias 12, 67100 Xanthi, Greece.
| | - Christian Vogelsang
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway.
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Toušová Z, Vrana B, Smutná M, Novák J, Klučárová V, Grabic R, Slobodník J, Giesy JP, Hilscherová K. Analytical and bioanalytical assessments of organic micropollutants in the Bosna River using a combination of passive sampling, bioassays and multi-residue analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:1599-1612. [PMID: 30308846 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Complex mixtures of contaminants from multiple sources, including agriculture, industry or wastewater enter aquatic environments and might pose hazards or risks to humans or wildlife. Targeted analyses of a few priority substances provide limited information about water quality. In this study, a combined chemical and effect screening of water quality in the River Bosna, in Bosnia and Herzegovina was carried out, with focus on occurrence and effects of contaminants of emerging concern. Chemicals in water were sampled at 10 sites along the Bosna River by use of passive sampling. The combination of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) enabled sampling of a broad range of contaminants from hydrophobic (PAHs, PCBs, OCPs) to hydrophilic compounds (pesticides, pharmaceuticals and hormones), which were determined by use of GC-MS and LC-MS (MS). In vitro, cell-based bioassays were applied to assess (anti)androgenic, estrogenic and dioxin-like potencies of extracts of the samplers. Of a total of 168 targeted compounds, 107 were detected at least once. Cumulative pollutant concentrations decreased downstream from the city of Sarajevo, which was identified as the major source of organic pollutants in the area. Responses in all bioassays were observed for samples from all sites. In general, estrogenicity could be well explained by analysis of target estrogens, while the drivers of the other observed effects remained largely unknown. Profiling of hazard quotients identified two sites downstream of Sarajevo as hotspots of biological potency. Risk assessment of detected compounds revealed, that 7 compounds (diazinon, diclofenac, 17β-estradiol, estrone, benzo[k]fluoranthene, fluoranthene and benzo[k]fluoranthene) might pose risks to aquatic biota in the Bosna River. The study brings unique results of a complex water quality assessment in a region with an insufficient water treatment infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Toušová
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Environmental Institute (EI), Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovakia
| | - Branislav Vrana
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Water Research Institute, Nabr. Arm. Gen. L. Svobodu 5, 812 49 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marie Smutná
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Novák
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Klučárová
- Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Radlinskeho 9, 812 37 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Roman Grabic
- University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zatisi 728/II, CZ-389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic
| | | | - John Paul Giesy
- Dept. Biomedical Veterinary Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Saskatchewan, Canada; School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, People's Republic of China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Klára Hilscherová
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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35
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Rosenmai AK, Lundqvist J, Gago-Ferrero P, Mandava G, Ahrens L, Wiberg K, Oskarsson A. Effect-based assessment of recipient waters impacted by on-site, small scale, and large scale waste water treatment facilities - combining passive sampling with in vitro bioassays and chemical analysis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17200. [PMID: 30464315 PMCID: PMC6249289 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35533-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Waste water treatment facilities are a major sources of organic micropollutants (MPs) in surface water. In this study, surface water samples were collected from seven sites along a river system in Uppsala, Sweden, during four seasons and evaluated based on the occurrence of MPs in the samples and bioactivity using in vitro bioassays. The sampling sites were differentially impacted by on-site sewage treatment facilities (OSSFs), small scale, and large scale waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). The bioassays used included activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor (ER), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and androgen receptor (AR). Occurrence of 80 MPs, were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Most water samples induced AhR activity, and all sampling sites showed a similar profile regarding this activity. With the exception of one water sample, we did not detect any NFkB, Nrf2 or AR activity of the water samples. The exception was a sample impacted by OSSFs, which showed an activity in multiple bioassays, but the activity could not be explained by the occurrence of target MPs. The occurrence of MPs showed a spatial trend, with the highest number and amount of MPs detected in the samples collected downstream of the WWTPs, where up to 47 MPs were detected in one single sample. A seasonal variation was observed with highest levels of MPs and highest AhR activities in samples collected in June and September 2015. However, neither the seasonal activity nor the on-site activity could be explained by the measured MPs, suggesting unknown contributory agents in the water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kjerstine Rosenmai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Geeta Mandava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Wiberg
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Agneta Oskarsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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Šauer P, Bořík A, Golovko O, Grabic R, Staňová AV, Valentová O, Stará A, Šandová M, Kocour Kroupová H. Do progestins contribute to (anti-)androgenic activities in aquatic environments? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:417-425. [PMID: 29990947 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Unknown compounds with (anti-)androgenic activities enter the aquatic environment via municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Progestins are well-known environmental contaminants capable of interfering with androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. The aim of the present study was to determine if 15 selected progestins have potential to contribute to (anti-)androgenic activities in municipal wastewaters and the respective recipient surface waters. AR-specific Chemically Activated LUciferase gene eXpression bioassay in agonistic (AR-CALUX) and antagonistic (anti-AR-CALUX) modes and liquid chromatography tandem atmospheric pressure chemical ionization/atmospheric photoionization with hybrid quadrupole/orbital trap mass spectrometry operated in high resolution product scan mode (LC-APCI/APPI-HRPS) methods were used to assess (anti-)androgenic activity and to detect the target compounds, respectively. The contribution of progestins to (anti-)androgenic activities was evaluated by means of a biologically and chemically derived toxicity equivalent approach. Androgenic (0.08-59 ng/L dihydrotestosterone equivalents - DHT EQs) and anti-androgenic (2.4-26 μg/L flutamide equivalents - FLU EQs) activities and progestins (0.19-75 ng/L) were detected in selected aquatic environments. Progestins displayed androgenic potencies (0.01-0.22 fold of dihydrotestosterone) and strong anti-androgenic potencies (9-62 fold of flutamide). Although they accounted to some extent for androgenic (0.3-29%) and anti-androgenic (4.6-27%) activities in influents, the progestins' contribution to (anti-)androgenic activities was negligible (≤2.1%) in effluents and surface waters. We also tested joint effect of equimolar mixtures of target compounds and the results indicate that compounds interact in an additive manner. Even if progestins possess relatively strong (anti-)androgenic activities, when considering their low concentrations (sub-ng/L to ng/L) it seems unlikely that they would be the drivers of (anti-)androgenic effects in Czech aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Šauer
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic.
| | - Adam Bořík
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Oksana Golovko
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Grabic
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Vojs Staňová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Olga Valentová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Alžběta Stará
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Šandová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Kocour Kroupová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
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Rosenmai AK, Lundqvist J, le Godec T, Ohlsson Å, Tröger R, Hellman B, Oskarsson A. In vitro bioanalysis of drinking water from source to tap. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 139:272-280. [PMID: 29656192 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The presence of chemical pollutants in sources of drinking water is a key environmental problem threatening public health. Efficient removal of pollutants in drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) is needed as well as methods for assessment of the total impact of all present chemicals on water quality. In the present study we have analyzed the bioactivity of water samples from source to tap, including effects of various water treatments in a DWTP, using a battery of cell-based bioassays, covering health-relevant endpoints. Reporter gene assays were used to analyze receptor activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and induction of oxidative stress by the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). DNA damage was determined by Comet assay. Grab water samples were concentrated by HLB or ENV solid phase extraction and the water samples assayed at a relative enrichment factor of 50. The enrichment procedure did not induce any bioactivity. No bioactivity was detected in Milli-Q water or drinking water control samples. Induction of AhR, ER and Nrf2 activities was revealed in source to tap water samples. No cytotoxicity, PPARα or AR antagonist activity, or DNA damage were observed in any of the water samples. A low AR agonist activity was detected in a few samples of surface water, but not in the samples from the DWTP. The treatment steps at the DWTP, coagulation, granulated activated carbon filtration, UV disinfection and NH2Cl dosing had little or no effect on the AhR, Nrf2 and ER bioactivity. However, nanofiltration and passage through the distribution network drastically decreased AhR activity, while the effect on Nrf2 activity was more modest and no apparent effect was observed on ER activity. The present results suggest that bioassays are useful tools for evaluation of the efficiency of different treatment steps in DWTPs in reducing toxic activities. Bioassays of AhR and Nrf2 are useful for screening of effects of a broad range of chemicals in drinking water and ER activity can be monitored with a high sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kjerstine Rosenmai
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundqvist
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Théo le Godec
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åsa Ohlsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rikard Tröger
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Björn Hellman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Division of Drug Safety and Toxicology, Uppsala University, Box 591, 751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Agneta Oskarsson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7028, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Leusch FDL, Neale PA, Arnal C, Aneck-Hahn NH, Balaguer P, Bruchet A, Escher BI, Esperanza M, Grimaldi M, Leroy G, Scheurer M, Schlichting R, Schriks M, Hebert A. Analysis of endocrine activity in drinking water, surface water and treated wastewater from six countries. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 139:10-18. [PMID: 29621713 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The aquatic environment can contain numerous micropollutants and there are concerns about endocrine activity in environmental waters and the potential impacts on human and ecosystem health. In this study a complementary chemical analysis and in vitro bioassay approach was applied to evaluate endocrine activity in treated wastewater, surface water and drinking water samples from six countries (Germany, Australia, France, South Africa, the Netherlands and Spain). The bioassay test battery included assays indicative of seven endocrine pathways, while 58 different chemicals, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial compounds, were analysed by targeted chemical analysis. Endocrine activity was below the limit of quantification for most water samples, with only two of six treated wastewater samples and two of six surface water samples exhibiting estrogenic, glucocorticoid, progestagenic and/or anti-mineralocorticoid activity above the limit of quantification. Based on available effect-based trigger values (EBT) for estrogenic and glucocorticoid activity, some of the wastewater and surface water samples were found to exceed the EBT, suggesting these environmental waters may pose a potential risk to ecosystem health. In contrast, the lack of bioassay activity and low detected chemical concentrations in the drinking water samples do not suggest a risk to human endocrine health, with all samples below the relevant EBTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport QLD 4222, Australia.
| | - Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Charlotte Arnal
- Veolia Research & Innovation, 78600 Maisons-Laffitte, France
| | - Natalie H Aneck-Hahn
- Environmental Chemical Pollution and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Patrick Balaguer
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM/Université de Montpellier, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Auguste Bruchet
- CIRSEE (Centre International de Recherche Sur l'Eau et l'Environnement) - Suez Environnement, 78230 Le Pecq, France
| | - Beate I Escher
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport QLD 4222, Australia; UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Environmental Toxicology, Center for Applied Geosciences, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mar Esperanza
- CIRSEE (Centre International de Recherche Sur l'Eau et l'Environnement) - Suez Environnement, 78230 Le Pecq, France
| | - Marina Grimaldi
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, INSERM/Université de Montpellier, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Gaela Leroy
- Veolia Research & Innovation, 78600 Maisons-Laffitte, France
| | - Marco Scheurer
- DVGW - Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruher Str.84, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Rita Schlichting
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Merijn Schriks
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute, 3433 PE Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Vitens drinking water company, 8019 BE Zwolle, The Netherlands
| | - Armelle Hebert
- Veolia Research & Innovation, 78600 Maisons-Laffitte, France
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Houtman CJ, Ten Broek R, Brouwer A. Steroid hormonal bioactivities, culprit natural and synthetic hormones and other emerging contaminants in waste water measured using bioassays and UPLC-tQ-MS. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 630:1492-1501. [PMID: 29554767 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Emission of compounds with biological activities from waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents into surface waters is a topic of concern for ecology and drinking water quality. We investigated the occurrence of hormone-like activities in waste water sample extracts from four Dutch WWTPs and pursued to identify compounds responsible for them. To this aim, in vitro reporter gene bioassays for androgenic, anti-androgenic, estrogenic, glucocorticoid and progestogenic activity and a UPLC-tQ-MS target analysis method for 25 steroid hormones used in high volumes in pharmacy were applied. Principal component analysis of the data was performed to further characterize the detected activities and compounds. All five types of activities tested were observed in the WWTP samples. Androgenic and estrogenic activities were almost completely removed during WW treatment, anti-androgenic activity was only found in treated WW. Glucocorticoid and progestogenic activities persisted throughout the treatment. The androgenic activity in both influent could predominantly be attributed to the presence of androstenedione and testosterone. Anti-androgenic activity was explained by the presence of cyproterone acetate. The glucocorticoid activity in influent was fully explained by prednicarbate, triamcinolone acetonide, dexamethasone and amcinonide. In effluent however, detected hormones could only explain 10-32% of the activity, indicating the presence of unknown glucocorticoids or their metabolites in effluent. Progesterone and levonorgestrel could explain the observed progestogenic activity. The principle component analysis confirmed the way in which hormones fit in the spectrum of other emerging contaminants concerning occurrence and fate in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corine J Houtman
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, The Netherlands.
| | - Rob Ten Broek
- The Water Laboratory, P.O. Box 734, 2003 RS Haarlem, The Netherlands
| | - Abraham Brouwer
- BioDetection Systems B.V, Science Park 406, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Animal Ecology, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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40
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Escher BI, Aїt-Aїssa S, Behnisch PA, Brack W, Brion F, Brouwer A, Buchinger S, Crawford SE, Du Pasquier D, Hamers T, Hettwer K, Hilscherová K, Hollert H, Kase R, Kienle C, Tindall AJ, Tuerk J, van der Oost R, Vermeirssen E, Neale PA. Effect-based trigger values for in vitro and in vivo bioassays performed on surface water extracts supporting the environmental quality standards (EQS) of the European Water Framework Directive. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 628-629:748-765. [PMID: 29454215 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Effect-based methods including cell-based bioassays, reporter gene assays and whole-organism assays have been applied for decades in water quality monitoring and testing of enriched solid-phase extracts. There is no common EU-wide agreement on what level of bioassay response in water extracts is acceptable. At present, bioassay results are only benchmarked against each other but not against a consented measure of chemical water quality. The EU environmental quality standards (EQS) differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable surface water concentrations for individual chemicals but cannot capture the thousands of chemicals in water and their biological action as mixtures. We developed a method that reads across from existing EQS and includes additional mixture considerations with the goal that the derived effect-based trigger values (EBT) indicate acceptable risk for complex mixtures as they occur in surface water. Advantages and limitations of various approaches to read across from EQS are discussed and distilled to an algorithm that translates EQS into their corresponding bioanalytical equivalent concentrations (BEQ). The proposed EBT derivation method was applied to 48 in vitro bioassays with 32 of them having sufficient information to yield preliminary EBTs. To assess the practicability and robustness of the proposed approach, we compared the tentative EBTs with observed environmental effects. The proposed method only gives guidance on how to derive EBTs but does not propose final EBTs for implementation. The EBTs for some bioassays such as those for estrogenicity are already mature and could be implemented into regulation in the near future, while for others it will still take a few iterations until we can be confident of the power of the proposed EBTs to differentiate good from poor water quality with respect to chemical contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beate I Escher
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Environmental Toxicology, Centre for Applied Geosciences, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
| | - Selim Aїt-Aїssa
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques INERIS, Unité d'Ecotoxicologie, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | | | - Werner Brack
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - François Brion
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques INERIS, Unité d'Ecotoxicologie, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | | | | | - Sarah E Crawford
- Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Timo Hamers
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Dept. Environment & Health, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Klára Hilscherová
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Henner Hollert
- Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Robert Kase
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology Eawag-EPFL, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Kienle
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology Eawag-EPFL, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Andrew J Tindall
- Laboratoire Watchfrog, 1 Rue Pierre Fontaine, 91 000 Evry, France
| | - Jochen Tuerk
- Institut für Energie- und Umwelttechnik e.V. (IUTA, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology), Bliersheimer Str. 58-60, D-47229 Duisburg, Germany
| | - Ron van der Oost
- Waternet Institute for the Urban Water Cycle, Department of Technology, Research and Engineering, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Etienne Vermeirssen
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology Eawag-EPFL, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia
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Šauer P, Stará A, Golovko O, Valentová O, Bořík A, Grabic R, Kroupová HK. Two synthetic progestins and natural progesterone are responsible for most of the progestagenic activities in municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents in the Czech and Slovak republics. WATER RESEARCH 2018; 137:64-71. [PMID: 29544204 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.02.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Vast numbers of xenobiotics are known still to be present in treated municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents. Some of these possess endocrine-disrupting potency and pose risks for exposed aquatic animals. We searched for 17 potential environmental contaminants having affinity to the progesterone receptor. Relative potency values of these progesterone receptor-active chemicals were obtained. On the basis of relative potencies and measured environmental concentrations, the contribution of progestins to measured progestagenic activities was evaluated. Wastewaters (influent and effluent) and surrounding surface waters (upstream and downstream) at six municipal WWTPs were screened using instrumental chemical analysis and in vitro reporter gene bioassay. We showed the presence of target compounds and (anti-)progestagenic activities in municipal wastewater and surface water. Nine and seven progestins were identified in influent and effluent wastewaters, respectively. Only two compounds, progesterone and medroxyprogesterone were found in surface waters. Progestagenic agonistic activities in influents were partially masked by strong anti-progestagenic activities that were detected in all influents and ranged from 2.63 to 83 ng/L of mifepristone equivalents (EQs). Progestagenic activities were detected in all effluents and ranged from 0.06 to 0.47 ng/L of reference compound ORG 2058 EQs (a synthetic progestin equivalents), thus indicating incomplete removal of progestins during wastewater treatment processing. This activity poses a continuing risk for the aquatic environment. By contrast, anti-progestagenic activities showed better removal efficiency in WWTPs compared to progestagenic agonistic activities. Anti-progestagenic activities were found in only three of six effluents and ranged from 0.26 to 2.1 ng/L mifepristone EQs. We explained most of the progestagenic activity in municipal WWTP effluents by the presence of synthetic progestins and progesterone, which contributed 65-96% of such activity in samples where no antagonistic activity was found. The progestins medroxyprogesterone acetate, megestrol acetate and progesterone contributed most to the progestagenic activity detected in municipal effluents. Anti-progestagenic activities were found in some municipal effluents, but no causative agents were revealed because two analysed selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) with anti-progestagenic activities, mifepristone and ulipristal acetate, were not present in the effluents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Šauer
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic.
| | - Alžběta Stará
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Oksana Golovko
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Olga Valentová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Bořík
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Grabic
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Kocour Kroupová
- University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Zátiší 728/II, 389 25 Vodňany, Czech Republic
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42
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Bain PA, Kumar A. In vitro nuclear receptor inhibition and cytotoxicity of hydraulic fracturing chemicals and their binary mixtures. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 198:565-573. [PMID: 29433907 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.12.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The widespread use of hydraulic fracturing (HF) in oil and gas extraction operations has led to concern over environmental risks posed by chemicals used in HF fluids. Here we employed a suite of stable luciferase reporter gene assays to investigate the potential for selected HF chemicals or geogenics to activate or antagonise nuclear receptor signalling. We screened three biocides (bronopol [BP], glutaraldehyde [GA], and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium sulfate [THPS]), a surfactant (2-butoxyethanol), a friction reducer (polyacrylamide), and a coal seam geogenic (o-cresol) for their potential to act as agonists or antagonists of the estrogen receptor, androgen receptor, progesterone receptor (PR), glucocorticoid receptor or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). None of the chemicals induced luciferase activity in any of assays used in the study. In antagonistic mode, BP, GA and THPS caused reductions in luciferase activity in the reporter assays at higher concentrations (50-100 μM), while at low concentrations (2-10 μM) GA and THPS enhanced luciferase activity in some assays relative to controls. None of the other tested chemicals exhibited antagonism in the selected assays. In most cases, altered receptor signalling only occurred at concentrations exhibiting cytotoxicity. However, PPARγ activity, and to a lesser extent PR activity, were inhibited by THPS at sub-cytotoxic concentrations. The majority of binary combinations tested exhibited significantly less-than-additive cytotoxicity, and none of the combinations exhibited synergistic cytotoxicity. In summary, the results of the present study indicate that the selected chemicals are not likely to function as direct agonists of the nuclear receptors tested, and only one chemical, THPS was an apparent partial antagonist of two nuclear receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Bain
- CSIRO Land & Water, Locked bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
| | - Anu Kumar
- CSIRO Land & Water, Locked bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
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Wangmo C, Jarque S, Hilscherová K, Bláha L, Bittner M. In vitro assessment of sex steroids and related compounds in water and sediments - a critical review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2018; 20:270-287. [PMID: 29251308 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00458c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Detection of endocrine disrupting compounds in water and sediment samples has gained much importance since the evidence of their effects was reported in aquatic ecosystems in the 1990s. The aim of this review is to highlight the advances made in the field of in vitro analysis for the detection of hormonally active compounds with estrogenic, androgenic and progestogenic effects in water and sediment samples. In vitro assays have been developed from yeast, mammalian and in a few cases from fish cells. These assays are based either on the hormone-mediated proliferation of sensitive cell lines or on the hormone-mediated expression of reporter genes. In vitro assays in combination with various sample enrichment methods have been used with limits of detection as low as 0.0027 ng L-1 in water, and 0.0026 ng g-1 in sediments for estrogenicity, 0.1 ng L-1 in water, and 0.5 ng g-1 in sediments for androgenicity, and 5 ng L-1 in water for progestogenicity expressed as equivalent concentrations of standard reference compounds of 17β-estradiol, dihydrotestosterone and progesterone, respectively. The experimental results and limits of quantification, however, are influenced by the methods of sample collection, preparation, and individual laboratory practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chimi Wangmo
- Masaryk University, Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment - RECETOX, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Välitalo P, Massei R, Heiskanen I, Behnisch P, Brack W, Tindall AJ, Du Pasquier D, Küster E, Mikola A, Schulze T, Sillanpää M. Effect-based assessment of toxicity removal during wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 126:153-163. [PMID: 28941401 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Wastewaters contain complex mixtures of chemicals, which can cause adverse toxic effects in the receiving environment. In the present study, the toxicity removal during wastewater treatment at seven municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) was investigated using an effect-based approach. A battery of eight bioassays was applied comprising of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, endocrine disruption and fish embryo toxicity assays. Human cell-based CALUX assays, transgenic larval models and the fish embryo toxicity test were particularly sensitive to WWTP effluents. The results indicate that most effects were significantly reduced or completely removed during wastewater treatment (76-100%), while embryo toxicity, estrogenic activity and thyroid disruption were still detectable in the effluents suggesting that some harmful substances remain after treatment. The responsiveness of the bioassays was compared and the human cell-based CALUX assays showed highest responsiveness in the samples. Additionally, the fish embryo toxicity test and the transgenic larval models for endocrine disrupting effects showed high responsiveness at low sample concentrations in nearly all of the effluent samples. The results showed a similar effect pattern among all WWTPs investigated, indicating that the wastewater composition could be rather similar at different locations. There were no considerable differences in the toxicity removal efficiencies of the treatment plants and no correlation was observed with WWTP characteristics, such as process configuration or sludge age. This study demonstrated that a biotest battery comprising of multiple endpoints can serve as a powerful tool when assessing water quality or water treatment efficiency in a holistic manner. Rather than analyzing the concentrations of a few selected chemicals, bioassays can be used to complement traditional methods of monitoring in the future by assessing sum-parameter based effects, such as mixture effects, and tackling chemicals that are present at concentrations below chemical analytical detection limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Välitalo
- Finnish Environment Institute, Laboratory Centre, Hakuninmaantie 6, 00430, Helsinki, Finland; Aalto University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tietotie 1E, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
| | - Riccardo Massei
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ilse Heiskanen
- Finnish Environment Institute, Laboratory Centre, Hakuninmaantie 6, 00430, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Werner Brack
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | | | - Eberhard Küster
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Mikola
- Aalto University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tietotie 1E, 02150, Espoo, Finland
| | - Tobias Schulze
- UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Sillanpää
- Finnish Environment Institute, Laboratory Centre, Hakuninmaantie 6, 00430, Helsinki, Finland
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Tousova Z, Oswald P, Slobodnik J, Blaha L, Muz M, Hu M, Brack W, Krauss M, Di Paolo C, Tarcai Z, Seiler TB, Hollert H, Koprivica S, Ahel M, Schollée JE, Hollender J, Suter MJF, Hidasi AO, Schirmer K, Sonavane M, Ait-Aissa S, Creusot N, Brion F, Froment J, Almeida AC, Thomas K, Tollefsen KE, Tufi S, Ouyang X, Leonards P, Lamoree M, Torrens VO, Kolkman A, Schriks M, Spirhanzlova P, Tindall A, Schulze T. European demonstration program on the effect-based and chemical identification and monitoring of organic pollutants in European surface waters. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017. [PMID: 28629112 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Growing concern about the adverse environmental and human health effects of a wide range of micropollutants requires the development of novel tools and approaches to enable holistic monitoring of their occurrence, fate and effects in the aquatic environment. A European-wide demonstration program (EDP) for effect-based monitoring of micropollutants in surface waters was carried out within the Marie Curie Initial Training Network EDA-EMERGE. The main objectives of the EDP were to apply a simplified protocol for effect-directed analysis, to link biological effects to target compounds and to estimate their risk to aquatic biota. Onsite large volume solid phase extraction of 50 L of surface water was performed at 18 sampling sites in four European river basins. Extracts were subjected to effect-based analysis (toxicity to algae, fish embryo toxicity, neurotoxicity, (anti-)estrogenicity, (anti-)androgenicity, glucocorticoid activity and thyroid activity), to target analysis (151 organic micropollutants) and to nontarget screening. The most pronounced effects were estrogenicity, toxicity to algae and fish embryo toxicity. In most bioassays, major portions of the observed effects could not be explained by target compounds, especially in case of androgenicity, glucocorticoid activity and fish embryo toxicity. Estrone and nonylphenoxyacetic acid were identified as the strongest contributors to estrogenicity, while herbicides, with a minor contribution from other micropollutants, were linked to the observed toxicity to algae. Fipronil and nonylphenol were partially responsible for the fish embryo toxicity. Within the EDP, 21 target compounds were prioritized on the basis of their frequency and extent of exceedance of predicted no effect concentrations. The EDP priority list included 6 compounds, which are already addressed by European legislation, and 15 micropollutants that may be important for future monitoring of surface waters. The study presents a novel simplified protocol for effect-based monitoring and draws a comprehensive picture of the surface water status across Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Tousova
- Environmental Institute (EI), Okruzna 784/42, 972 41 Kos, Slovak Republic; Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Oswald
- Environmental Institute (EI), Okruzna 784/42, 972 41 Kos, Slovak Republic
| | - Jaroslav Slobodnik
- Environmental Institute (EI), Okruzna 784/42, 972 41 Kos, Slovak Republic
| | - Ludek Blaha
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Melis Muz
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Meng Hu
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Werner Brack
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Martin Krauss
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Carolina Di Paolo
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Zsolt Tarcai
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas-Benjamin Seiler
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Henner Hollert
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute for Environmental Research (Biology V), Department of Ecosystem Analysis, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Sanja Koprivica
- Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Bijenicka cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marijan Ahel
- Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Bijenicka cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jennifer E Schollée
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marc J-F Suter
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anita O Hidasi
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; EPF Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kristin Schirmer
- Eawag, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; EPF Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manoj Sonavane
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Unité ECOT, Parc ALATA - BP2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Selim Ait-Aissa
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Unité ECOT, Parc ALATA - BP2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Nicolas Creusot
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Unité ECOT, Parc ALATA - BP2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Francois Brion
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Unité ECOT, Parc ALATA - BP2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Jean Froment
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadallèen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ana Catarina Almeida
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadallèen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kevin Thomas
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadallèen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway; Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 39 Keesels Road, Coopers Plains 4108, Australia
| | - Knut Erik Tollefsen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment, Gaustadallèen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Environmental Science & Technology, Dept. for Environmental Sciences, Post Box 5003, N-1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Sara Tufi
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department Environment & Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Xiyu Ouyang
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department Environment & Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pim Leonards
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department Environment & Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marja Lamoree
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department Environment & Health, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Victoria Osorio Torrens
- KWR, Watercycle Research Institute, Department of Chemical Water, Quality and Health, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke Kolkman
- KWR, Watercycle Research Institute, Department of Chemical Water, Quality and Health, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
| | - Merijn Schriks
- KWR, Watercycle Research Institute, Department of Chemical Water, Quality and Health, P.O. Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Vitens drinking water company, P.O Box 1205, 8001 BE Zwolle, The Netherlands
| | | | - Andrew Tindall
- WatchFrog S. A., 1 rue Pierre Fontaine, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Tobias Schulze
- UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
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Chamas A, Pham HTM, Jähne M, Hettwer K, Uhlig S, Simon K, Einspanier A, Baronian K, Kunze G. Simultaneous detection of three sex steroid hormone classes using a novel yeast-based biosensor. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017; 114:1539-1549. [PMID: 28092110 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A biosensor detecting estrogens, progestogens, and androgens in complex samples and in a single step is described. Three Arxula adeninivorans yeast strains were created, each strain producing a different recombinant human hormone receptor and a different fluorescent reporter protein. These strains were then mixed to create G1212/YRC102-hHR-fluo, the biological component of the biosensor. During incubation with G1212/YRC102-hHR-fluo, hormones present in a sample bind to their target receptor, which leads to the production of a specific fluorescent protein. Three fluorescence scans of the yeast suspension determine which fluorescence protein has been produced, thus revealing which hormone receptor (estrogen, progesterone, and androgen) has been activated by the hormones or hormone mimics present in the sample. The biosensor has similar sensitivities to the existing A. adeninivorans cell-based assays. The detection of the three hormone classes in one single experiment reduces the labor and time required to assay for the three hormone classes. The biosensor was also trialed with animal serum samples for the detection of progestogens, androgens, and estrogens and gave results that correlated well with ELISA analysis in case of progestogens. These results highlight the potential usefulness of the biosensor for comprehensive determination of hormone status in samples from veterinary origin. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1539-1549. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Chamas
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, Gatersleben D-06466, Germany
| | - Ha Thi Minh Pham
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, Gatersleben D-06466, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Cau Giay, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | | | | | | | | | - Almuth Einspanier
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kim Baronian
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Gotthard Kunze
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, Gatersleben D-06466, Germany
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Leusch FDL, Neale PA, Hebert A, Scheurer M, Schriks MCM. Analysis of the sensitivity of in vitro bioassays for androgenic, progestagenic, glucocorticoid, thyroid and estrogenic activity: Suitability for drinking and environmental waters. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 99:120-130. [PMID: 28017361 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment poses a risk for ecosystem health. Consequently there is a need for sensitive tools, such as in vitro bioassays, to monitor endocrine activity in environmental waters. The aim of the current study was to assess whether current in vitro bioassays are suitable to detect endocrine activity in a range of water types. The reviewed assays included androgenic (n=11), progestagenic (n=6), glucocorticoid (n=5), thyroid (n=5) and estrogenic (n=8) activity in both agonist and antagonist mode. Existing in vitro bioassay data were re-evaluated to determine assay sensitivity, with the calculated method detection limit compared with measured hormonal activity in treated wastewater, surface water and drinking water to quantify whether the studied assays were sufficiently sensitive for environmental samples. With typical sample enrichment, current in vitro bioassays are sufficiently sensitive to detect androgenic activity in treated wastewater and surface water, with anti-androgenic activity able to be detected in most environmental waters. Similarly, with sufficient enrichment, the studied mammalian assays are able to detect estrogenic activity even in drinking water samples. Fewer studies have focused on progestagenic and glucocorticoid activity, but some of the reviewed bioassays are suitable for detecting activity in treated wastewater and surface water. Even less is known about (anti)thyroid activity, but the available data suggests that the more sensitive reviewed bioassays are still unlikely to detect this type of activity in environmental waters. The findings of this review can help provide guidance on in vitro bioassay selection and required sample enrichment for optimised detection of endocrine activity in environmental waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic D L Leusch
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4222, Australia.
| | - Peta A Neale
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4222, Australia
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Degradation characteristics and metabolic pathway of 17β-estradiol (E2) by Rhodococcus sp. DS201. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-016-0283-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Dotan P, Tal A, Arnon S. A simple model for estimating the concentrations of natural estrogens in raw wastewater. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 575:588-594. [PMID: 27622697 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study provides a tool for predicting the concentrations of the natural estrogens (NEs) estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol in raw wastewater (WW). Data characterizing the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), NE concentrations, and discharges of raw sewage to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were collected from various publications and used in the model formulation. A strong correlation was found between the log transformed BOD and the log transformed estrone load (r2=0.84, n=61), the log transformed 17β-estradiol load (r2=0.89, n=52) and the log transformed estriol load (r2=0.80, n=40). The models are reasonably accurate when compared to the measured concentrations and slightly better than previous modeling efforts. The relative amounts of data falling within ±50% error were 67% for estrone, 63% for 17β-estradiol, and 55% for estriol. Because the model was developed from a wide array of WWTPs from five continents, it is universal and can be used for projecting concentrations of NEs from a wide range of mixed domestic and industrial sources, but may be less precise when sources contain high levels of NEs or BOD (e.g., WW from dairy farms and food processing plants). The model is expected to improve our ability to predict the fate of NEs in WWTPs and in the receiving environment, which currently relies on estimating the concentrations of NEs in raw wastewater. Its application is especially valuable since direct measurement of NEs in raw WW is expensive and practically impossible in many developing countries due to the lack of expertise and funds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pniela Dotan
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer 84990, Israel
| | - Alon Tal
- Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 84990, Israel
| | - Shai Arnon
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer 84990, Israel.
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Nakayama K, Sato K, Shibano T, Isobe T, Suzuki G, Kitamura SI. Occurrence of glucocorticoids discharged from a sewage treatment plant in Japan and the effects of clobetasol propionate exposure on the immune responses of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to bacterial infection. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:946-952. [PMID: 26126539 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The present study evaluated the environmental risks to common carp (Cyprinus carpio) posed by glucocorticoids present in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent. To gather information on the seasonal variations in glucocorticoid concentration, the authors sampled the effluent of a Japanese STP every other week for 12 mo. Six of 9 selected glucocorticoids were detected in the effluent, with clobetasol propionate and betamethasone 17-valerate detected at the highest concentrations and frequencies. The present study's results indicated that effluent glucocorticoid concentration may depend on water temperature, which is closely related to the removal efficiency of the STP or to seasonal variations in the public's use of glucocorticoids. In a separate experiment, to clarify whether glucocorticoids in environmental water increase susceptibility to bacterial infection in fish, the authors examined the responses to bacterial infection (Aeromonas veronii) of common carp exposed to clobetasol propionate. Clobetasol propionate exposure did not affect bacterial infection-associated mortality. In fish infected with A. veronii but not exposed to clobetasol propionate, head kidney weight and number of leukocytes in the head kidney were significantly increased (p < 0.05), whereas these effects were not observed in infected fish exposed to clobetasol. This suggests that clobetasol propionate alleviated bacterial infection-associated inflammation. Together, these results indicate that susceptibility to bacterial infection in common carp is not affected by exposure to glucocorticoids at environmentally relevant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nakayama
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sato
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takazumi Shibano
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Tomohiko Isobe
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
- Center for Environmental Health Science, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Go Suzuki
- Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Kitamura
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
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