Sediments are major sinks of steroidal estrogens in two United Kingdom rivers

Citations Over TimeTop 1% of 2004 papers

Abstract

The occurrence of intersex fish in a number of European rivers has been attributed to exposure to estrogenic chemicals present in sewage treatment work (STW) effluents. To further understand the environmental fate of these contaminants, the estrogenic activity of effluents, water, and sediments were investigated both upstream and downstream of the major STW discharge in two United Kingdom rivers. Estrogenic activity, determined using the yeast estrogen-receptor transcription screen, of the major STW effluents on both rivers was similar, ranging from 1.4 to 2.9 ng 17beta-estradiol equivalents (EEQ)/L. Estrogenic activities of surface waters 1 km upstream and downstream of both STW inputs were less than the limits of detection (0.04 ng/L); however, levels of estrogenic activity in sediments were between 21.3 and 29.9 ng EEQ/kg and were similar at both upstream and downstream sites. Effluent and sediment extracts were fractionated by reverse phase-high-performance liquid chromatography, and estrogenic active fractions were further analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major active chemicals in the two effluents and in the sediments were estrone with lesser amounts of 17beta-estradiol; however, at one site, a number of other unidentified estrogenic fractions were detected in the sediments. These results suggest that riverine sediments are a major sink and a potential source of persistent estrogenic contaminants.

Related Papers

• → Biodegradation of PAHs in soil: Influence of chemical structure, concentration and multiple amendment(2010)98 cited
• → Recalcitrance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil contributes to background pollution(2011)35 cited
• → Evaluation of historical data on persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in Lake Baikal: Implications for accumulation in marine environments(2024)7 cited
• → Levels, persistence and bioavailability of organic contaminants present in marine harbor sediments impacted by raw sewage(1999)19 cited
• → Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soils Nearby Metallurgical Plant Kremikovtsy(2009)