title: Estrogen pollution in a highly productive ecosystem off central-south Chile.
abstract: While the presence of steroid estrogens in the environment has become a major environmental and health concern, their occurrence in coastal sediments remains poorly characterized. In this study, we measured the levels of three natural (estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol) and one synthetic (17α-ethinylestradiol) estrogens in 54 coastal sediment samples collected from nine locations off central-southern Chile. Steroid estrogens were found in every sample. Remarkably high levels of 17α-ethinylestradiol were detected, reaching up to 48.14 ng/g dry weight. As a result, the global estrogenic loads were estimated to be high at all sites. Interestingly, they were found to correlate with the size of human populations served by sewage plants. Our study indicates that 17α-ethinylestradiol may accumulate in coastal sediments. The possible impact of this highly potent synthetic estrogen on the biota of the marine ecosystem off central-south Chile and on human health remains an open question.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Investigación Marina de Excelencia (PIMEX-Nueva Aldea), Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile. abertin@userena.cl
authors.forename: Angéline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.forename: Pedro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Inostroza
authors.forename: Renato A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Quiñones
mesh_terms: D058448:Biota; D002677:Chile; D017753:Ecosystem; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D004964:Estriol / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D004970:Estrone / Q000032:analysis; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D011156:Population Density; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004967:Estrogens; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D004970:Estrone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D004958:Estradiol; D004964:Estriol