title: Oestrogenic activity of a textile industrial wastewater treatment plant effluent evaluated by the E-screen test and MELN gene-reporter luciferase assay.
abstract: This study quantified the biological oestrogenic activity in the effluent of a textile industrial wastewater treatment plant (IWWTP) in northwestern Italy. Samples of the IWWTP effluent were collected monthly, both before and after tertiary treatment (ozonation). After solid phase extraction, all samples were subjected to two in vitro tests of total estrogenic activity, the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7 BUS) proliferation assay, or E-screen test, and the luciferase-transfected human breast cancer cell line (MELN) gene-reporter assay, to measure the 17β-oestradiol equivalent quantity (EEQ). In the E-screen test, the mean EEQ values were 2.35±1.68 ng/L pre-ozonation and 0.72±0.58 ng/L post-ozonation; in the MELN gene-reporter luciferase assay, the mean EEQ values were 4.18±3.54 ng/L pre-ozonation and 2.53±2.48 ng/L post-ozonation. These results suggest that the post-ozonation IWWTP effluent had a lower oestrogenic activity (simple paired t-tests, p<0.05). The average reduction of estrogenic activity of IWWTP effluent after ozonation was 67±26% and 52±27% as measured by E-screen test and MELN gene-reporter luciferase assay, respectively. There was a positive and significant correlation between the two tests (Rho S=0.650, p=0.022). This study indicates that the environmental risk is low because oestrogenic substances are deposited into the river via IWWTP at concentrations lower than those at which chronic exposure has been reported to affect the endocrine system of living organisms.
authors: Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126 Torino, Italy. tiziana.schiliro@unito.it
authors: Tiziana
authors: T
authors: Schilirò
authors: Arianna
authors: A
authors: Porfido
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Spina
authors: Giovanna Cristina
authors: GC
authors: Varese
authors: Giorgio
authors: G
authors: Gilli
mesh_terms: D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004203:Disinfection; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D012621:Seasons; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D013783:Textile Industry; D014162:Transfection; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004958:Estradiol; D004967:Estrogens; D008156:Luciferases; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical