Pollution by endocrine disruptors in a southwest European temperate coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

rocha, mj (Author) ICBAS; Cruzeiro, C (Author) Other; Reis, M (Author) Other; Pardal, MA (Author) Other; rocha, e (Author) ICBAS

Journal

Title: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Vol. 188

ISSN: 0167-6369

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-5K1

DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5114-9

Abstract (EN): 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 (17 beta-oestradiol, oestrone) and pharmaceutical (17 alpha-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 approximate to 46 ng/L for oestrogens, approximate to 3962 ng/L for industrial/household chemicals, approximate to 1740 ng/L for phytoestrogens and approximate to 908 ng/L for SITO. Normalising these values in ethynylestradiol equivalents (EE2eq), the oestrogenic load in this lagoon attained approximate to 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.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13