Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater
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 assa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005359 |
| _version_ | 1811185438735466496 |
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| author | Saskia Finckh Sebastian Buchinger Beate I. Escher Henner Hollert Maria König Martin Krauss Warich Leekitratanapisan Sabrina Schiwy Rita Schlichting Aliaksandra Shuliakevich Werner Brack |
| author_facet | Saskia Finckh Sebastian Buchinger Beate I. Escher Henner Hollert Maria König Martin Krauss Warich Leekitratanapisan Sabrina Schiwy Rita Schlichting Aliaksandra Shuliakevich Werner Brack |
| author_sort | Saskia Finckh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:29:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01d22672b1bd46639223df2f3b74767f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:29:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-01d22672b1bd46639223df2f3b74767f2022-12-22T04:21:52ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202022-12-01170107608Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewaterSaskia Finckh0Sebastian Buchinger1Beate I. Escher2Henner Hollert3Maria König4Martin Krauss5Warich Leekitratanapisan6Sabrina Schiwy7Rita Schlichting8Aliaksandra Shuliakevich9Werner Brack10Department 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; Corresponding author at: Department of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany.Department of Biochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Federal Institute for Hydrology – BfG, Koblenz, GermanyDepartment of Cell Toxicology, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Environmental Toxicology, Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Cell Toxicology, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, GermanyEnvironmental Toxicology Unit – GhEnToxLab, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Cell Toxicology, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, GermanyDepartment of Effect-Directed Analysis, UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Ecology and Environmental Toxicology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, GermanyIn 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005359Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs)Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluentsChemical target analysisEffect-based analysisWater quality assessmentEffect based trigger values (EBTs) |
| spellingShingle | Saskia Finckh Sebastian Buchinger Beate I. Escher Henner Hollert Maria König Martin Krauss Warich Leekitratanapisan Sabrina Schiwy Rita Schlichting Aliaksandra Shuliakevich Werner Brack Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater Environment International Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents Chemical target analysis Effect-based analysis Water quality assessment Effect based trigger values (EBTs) |
| title | Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| title_full | Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| title_fullStr | Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| title_full_unstemmed | Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| title_short | Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| title_sort | endocrine disrupting chemicals entering european rivers occurrence and adverse mixture effects in treated wastewater |
| topic | Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents Chemical target analysis Effect-based analysis Water quality assessment Effect based trigger values (EBTs) |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005359 |
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