Determination of seventeen endocrine disruptor compounds and their spatial and seasonal distribution in Ria Formosa Lagoon (Portugal)

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

rocha, mj (Author) ICBAS; cruzeiro, c (Author) Other; reis, m (Author) Other; rocha, e (Author) FCUP; pardal, m (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Vol. 185

Pages: 8215-8226

ISSN: 0167-6369

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 19 Citations

Scopus - 18 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-6ZY

DOI: 10.1007/s10661-013-3168-5

Abstract (EN): In spite of its outstanding ecological and touristic importance the Ria Formosa Lagoon shows signs of anthropogenic pollution. Nonetheless, until the present survey no studies had ever documented the measurement of natural and pharmaceutical estrogens (17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol), xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and their mono and diethoxylates and bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein), and sitosterol in this area. The 17 compounds measured herein are known as endocrine disrupters (EDCs) and act over the endocrine system even in few amounts (ng L-1-mu g L-1). Thus to conclude about the influx of EDCs in the lagoon, water samples were taken every 2 months, during 1 year (2010), in low tide at nine sites distributed along the coastline. Water samples (1 L) were preconcentrated in the Oasis HLB cartridges and cleaned in silica cartridges before their analysis by GC-MS. Data showed the ubiquitous presence of potentially hazardous amounts of estrogens (particularly of ethynylestradiol, up to 24.3 ng L-1), nonylphenol (up to 547 ng L-1), and sitosterol (up to 12,300 ng L-1), mainly in summer, suggesting that the increase of the local number of inhabitants (tourists), the rise of the water temperature (up to 26 A degrees C), and the blooming of local flora may interfere with the water quality parameters. This makes the lagoon a potential model to study. Taking into account the data, it was concluded that there are conditions for the occurrence of endocrine disruption in aquatic animals, even in areas included in the natural park of the Formosa. Besides, both the high amounts of un-ionized ammonia (up to 0.3 mg L-1) and phosphates (up to 1.6 mg L-1) my pose risks for local fauna and humans.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12