title: Bioavailability and Fate of Sediment-Associated Progesterone in Aquatic Systems.
abstract: The environmental fate and bioavailability of progesterone, a steroid hormone known to cause endocrine-disrupting effects in aquatic organisms, is of growing concern due to its occurrence in the environment in water and sediment influenced by wastewater treatment plant and paper mill effluents, as well as livestock production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fate of progesterone in two natural sediments and the corresponding alteration of gene expression in three steroid-responsive genes; vitellogenin, androgen receptor and estrogen receptor alpha. When exposed to progesterone-spiked sand, fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exhibited significant reductions in the expression of vitellogenin and androgen receptor expression. In contrast, fish exposed to progesterone associated with the silty loam sediment did not show a biological response at 7 days and only realized a significant reduction in vitellogenin. In both sediments, progesterone degradation resulted in the production of androgens including androsteinedione, testosterone, and androstadienedione, as well as the antiestrogen, testolactone. Differences in compound fate resulted in organism exposure to different suites of metabolites either in water or associated with the sediment. Results from this study suggest that environmental progestagens will lead to defeminization at environmentally relevant concentrations, and that exposure is influenced by sediment properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Peter Kiewit Institute , Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0178, United States.
authors.forename: Jodi L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sangster
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska - Medical Center , 986805 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6805, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Nebraska Water Center and School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0844, United States.
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska - Medical Center , 986805 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6805, United States.|Department of Biology, 6001 Dodge Street, University of Nebraska at Omaha , Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0040, United States.
authors.forename: Alan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kolok
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Peter Kiewit Institute , Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0178, United States.
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bartelt-Hunt
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000378:metabolism*; D001682:Biological Availability; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000032:analysis; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D020847:Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D014819:Vitellogenins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone