Estrogenic and dioxin-like compounds in sediment from Zierikzee harbour identified with CALUX assay-directed fractionation combined with one and two dimensional gas chromatography analyses.
The identity of compounds responsible for estrogenic and dioxin-like activities in sediment from the harbour of the small town Zierikzee in Zeeland, The Netherlands, was investigated using a bioassay directed fractionation approach with the in vitro estrogen and dioxin responsive reporter gene assays ER- and DR-CALUX. For identification of compounds exhibiting activity in the bioassays, either one or two-dimensional GC in combination with quadrupole (MSD), ion trap (ITD) or time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (ToF-MS) was used, depending on the biological and chemical characteristics and the complexity of the fractions. The natural estrogenic hormone 17-beta-estradiol and its metabolite estrone were identified with GC-ITD as the main contributors to the estrogenic activity. After successive rounds of fractionation, the dioxin-like activity could be explained by the presence of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons identified with GC-MSD and two-dimensional comprehensive GC x GC-ToF-MS. Some estrogenic activity of a relatively non-polar nature remained unidentified.
Houtman
Corine J
CJ
Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1087, 1181 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. corine.houtman@bds.nl
Booij
Petra
P
Jover
Eric
E
Pascual del Rio
David
D
Swart
Kees
K
van Velzen
Martin
M
Vreuls
Rene
R
Legler
Juliette
J
Brouwer
Abraham
A
Lamoree
Marja H
MH
D002849:Chromatography, Gas / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D004147:Dioxins; D004967:Estrogens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical