title: Endocrine-disrupting effects of compounds in Danish streams.
abstract: Effluents from municipal wastewater-treatment plants and scattered dwellings, as well as runoff from agricultural fields, are sources of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the aquatic environment. The present study investigated the correlation between the occurrence of EDCs in nine Danish streams using passive samplers (polar organic integrative samplers and silicone membranes) and determined their possible biological effects as assessed by mammal cell cultures and the mussel (Unio tumidus). The passive samplers and mussels were exposed simultaneously at the study sites. The extracts from the passive samplers were used to measure the concentrations of EDCs and the biological effects on the estrogen (ER), androgen (AR), and aryl hydrocarbon (AhR)-receptor transactivation. Male mussels were investigated for biomarkers of endocrine effects, such as the levels of vitellogenin-like proteins measured as alkali-labile phosphate (ALP). EDC concentrations, hormone-receptor transactivation (ER, AR, AhR), and level of ALP were greater downstream of wastewater-treatment plants compared with upstream sites and sites supposed to be relatively nonimpacted by wastewater. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between in vitro AhR transactivation and frequency of ALP of male mussels. We conclude that wastewater effluent is an important source of endocrine-disrupting effects in the aquatic environment and that the combination of biological effect measurements and chemical analyses based on passive sampling is useful in the assessment of the ecological state of the aquatic environment.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Department of Public Health, Centre for Arctic Health, Aarhus University, BartholinsAllé 2, Building 1260, 8000, Århus C, Denmark, ml@mil.au.dk.
authors.forename: Manhai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lassen
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Ingela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dahllöf
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bossi
authors.forename: Martin M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiberg-Larsen
authors.forename: Eva Cecilie
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bonefeld-Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism; D003718:Denmark; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062065:Wastewater / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D014819:Vitellogenins; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical