title: Aerobic biodegradation potential of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in surface-water sediment at Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.
abstract: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in surface water and bed sediment threaten the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. In natural, remote, and protected surface-water environments where contaminant releases are sporadic, contaminant biodegradation is a fundamental driver of exposure concentration, timing, duration, and, thus, EDC ecological risk. Anthropogenic contaminants, including known and suspected EDCs, were detected in surface water and sediment collected from 2 streams and 2 lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado, USA). The potential for aerobic EDC biodegradation was assessed in collected sediments using 6 (14) C-radiolabeled model compounds. Aerobic microbial mineralization of natural (estrone and 17β-estradiol) and synthetic (17α-ethinylestradiol) estrogen was significant at all sites. Bed sediment microbial communities in Rocky Mountain National Park also effectively degraded the xenoestrogens bisphenol-A and 4-nonylphenol. The same sediment samples exhibited little potential for aerobic biodegradation of triclocarban, however, illustrating the need to assess a wider range of contaminant compounds. The present study's results support recent concerns over the widespread environmental occurrence of carbanalide antibacterials, like triclocarban and triclosan, and suggest that backcountry use of products containing these compounds should be discouraged.
authors.affiliation: South Atlantic Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Denver Federal Center, US Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Battaglin
authors.affiliation: Leetown Science Center, US Geological Survey, Kearneysville, West Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Luke R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Iwanowicz
authors.affiliation: South Atlantic Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jimmy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: South Atlantic Water Science Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Celeste A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Journey
mesh_terms: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002224:Carbanilides / Q000032:analysis; D003120:Colorado; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis; D004970:Estrone / Q000032:analysis; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol / Q000032:analysis; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D059013:Microbial Consortia; D000068316:Parks, Recreational; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D014867:Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D002224:Carbanilides; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004958:Estradiol; D004967:Estrogens; D004970:Estrone; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D010636:Phenols; D014867:Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C009540:triclocarban; C041594:4-nonylphenol; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Aerobic; Bed sediment; Biodegradation; Endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Streams