title: Progesterone potentially degrades to potent androgens in surface waters.
abstract: Progesterone is a natural hormone, excreted in higher concentrations than estrogens, and has been detected in the aqueous environment. As with other compounds, it is transformed during wastewater treatment processes and in the environment. However, minor modifications to the structure may result in transformation products which still exhibit biological activity, so understanding what transformation products are formed is of importance. The current study was undertaken to identify putative transformation products resulting from spiking river water with progesterone in a laboratory-based degradation study and hence to follow the metabolic breakdown pathways. On the basis of literature reports and predictions from the EAWAG Biocatalysis/biodegradation database, target putative transformation products were initially monitored under unit resolution mass spectrometry. The identity of these transformation products was confirmed by using accurate-mass quadrupole time-of-flight. The study results highlight that transformation of progesterone can potentially create other classes of steroids, some of which may still be potent, and possess other types of biological activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Delta State University Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Jasper O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ojoghoro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Abdul J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.affiliation: Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, MK43 0AL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sumpter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: mark.scrimshaw@brunel.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Scrimshaw
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D011374:Progesterone; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Metabolites; Pathways; Progesterone; Steroids; Transformation