title: Pollution by endocrine disruptors in a southwest European temperate coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal).
abstract: Ria de Aveiro is a Portuguese lagoon renowned for its ecological and economic importance. Nonetheless, in literature, few data exist about its organic pollution. Accordingly, this study chemically monitored for the first time a series of 17 endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs). The target EDCs include natural (17β-oestradiol, oestrone) and pharmaceutical (17α-ethynylestradiol) oestrogens, industrial/household xenoestrogenic pollutants (octylphenols, nonylphenols and their mono and diethoxylates and bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein) and the phytosterol sitosterol (SITO). For the investigation of these EDCs, water samples were taken from eight sampling sites widely spread along the lagoon, at three different occasions in 2011, and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results not only proved the ubiquitous distribution of all analysed EDCs but revealed that their amounts were extremely high at all sampling sites. The annual average concentrations were ≈ 46 ng/L for oestrogens, ≈ 3962 ng/L for industrial/household chemicals, ≈ 1740 ng/L for phytoestrogens and ≈ 908 ng/L for SITO. Normalising these values in ethynylestradiol equivalents (EE2eq), the oestrogenic load in this lagoon attained ≈ 50 ng/L EE2eq, which is a value well above that known to produce oestrogenic-induced disorders in aquatic fauna. Additionally, phosphate concentrations were also above the legal limits (>1 mg/L). Overall, data show EDCs at toxic relevant levels in the Ria de Aveiro and stress the need to enforce depollution measures in this habitat.
authors.affiliation: Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto (UPorto), Porto, Portugal. mjrocha@icbas.up.pt.|Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), UPorto, Porto, Portugal. mjrocha@icbas.up.pt.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto (UPorto), Porto, Portugal.|Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), UPorto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cruzeiro
authors.affiliation: CFE-Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: CFE-Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Miguel Ângelo
authors.initials: MÂ
authors.lastname: Pardal
authors.affiliation: Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto (UPorto), Porto, Portugal.|Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), UPorto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D010636:Phenols; D011174:Portugal; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004967:Estrogens; D010636:Phenols; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C474055:octylphenol; C025256:nonylphenol; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
keywords: Alkylphenol ethoxylates; Alkylphenols; Oestrogens; Phytoestrogens; Sitosterol