title: Steroid estrogens in ocean sediments.
abstract: This paper gives results from a study measuring the abundance of steroid hormones in ocean sediments in the proximity of a deep ocean sewage outfall. The outfall is discharge point for an enhanced primary sewage treatment plant and sediment samples were taken adjacent and 7 km from the outfall. All samples contained steroid estrogens at nanogram per gram levels with higher concentrations at the 7 km sampling site. The concentration of estrone ranged from (0.16-1.17 ng/g), 17beta-estradiol (0.22-2.48 ng/g) and the synthetic 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (<0.05-0.5 ng/g). The values detected correspond with estimates based on the proportion of estrogens sorbed to particles in the effluent and the expected proportion of particles originating from sewage in the ocean sediments. The results suggest that estrogens associated with the particulate fraction aggregate on contact with high ionic strength seawater and settle to the seafloor after discharge through deep ocean outfalls.
authors.affiliation: Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Smythe
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Feitz
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001315:Australia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis*; D004970:Estrone / Q000032:analysis*; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004970:Estrone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D004958:Estradiol