title: Screening of hormone-like activities in bottled waters available in Southern Spain using receptor-specific bioassays.
abstract: Bottled water consumption is a putative source of human exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Research has been conducted on the presence of chemicals with estrogen-like activity in bottled waters and on their estrogenicity, but few data are available on the presence of hormonal activities associated with other nuclear receptors (NRs). The aim of this study was to determine the presence of endocrine activities dependent on the activation of human estrogen receptor alpha (hERa) and/or androgen receptor (hAR) in water in glass or plastic bottles sold to consumers in Southern Spain. Hormone-like activities were evaluated in 29 bottled waters using receptor-specific bioassays based on reporter gene expression in PALM cells [(anti-)androgenicity] and cell proliferation assessment in MCF-7 cells [(anti-)estrogenicity] after optimized solid phase extraction (SPE). All of the water samples analyzed showed hormonal activity. This was estrogenic in 79.3% and anti-estrogenic in 37.9% of samples and was androgenic in 27.5% and anti-androgenic in 41.3%, with mean concentrations per liter of 0.113pM 17β-estradiol (E2) equivalent units (E2Eq), 11.01pM anti-estrogen (ICI 182780) equivalent units (ICI 182780Eq), 0.33pM methyltrienolone (R1881) equivalent units (R1881Eq), and 0.18nM procymidone equivalent units (ProcEq). Bottled water consumption contributes to EDC exposure. Hormone-like activities observed in waters from both plastic and glass bottles suggest that plastic packaging is not the sole source of contamination and that the source of the water and bottling process may play a role, among other factors. Further research is warranted on the cumulative effects of long-term exposure to low doses of EDCs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Real
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Granada, E-18071, Spain. Electronic address: molinajm@ugr.es.
authors.forename: José-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Molina-Molina
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Pedro
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Arrebola
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain.
authors.forename: José-María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sáenz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Granada, E-18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Mariana F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Medical Investigations, San Cecilio University Hospital, University of Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, E-18012, Spain; CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Granada, E-18071, Spain.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olea
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; C506487:ESR1 protein, human; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011944:Receptors, Androgen
keywords: Bottled water; E-screen; Hormone-like activity; In vitro bioassays; Polyethylene terephthalate (PET); Reporter gene assay