Integral assessment of estrogenic potentials of sediment-associated samples

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Exogenic endocrine-active substances are also called 'Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals' (EDC). They imitate or hinder the function of natural endogenic hormones or disturb the synthesis or the metabolism of hormones or of hormone receptors. The Enzyme-Linked Receptor Assay (ELRA) can detect estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects at the level of receptor binding and is a useful tool for the integrative detection of contaminant effects. Although the test system has been used repeatedly in sediment assessments, the questions have remained concerning how it responds to variations in the physico-chemical matrix. For some bioassays, the salinity of the sample is a critical factor. This is especially relevant when testing wastewater samples or when sediment-associated samples in the tidal reaches of rivers are tested. Sediments in the tidal reaches of rivers change their salinity several times a day. Against this background, it would be beneficial to have a test procedure of known salinity tolerance. On account of this, the salinity tolerance of the ELRA was tested, assessed with reference substances at several salinity levels, and compared with the E-Screen method and a Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES), which are also frequently applied in environmental testing. The aim of this paper was to explore when the salinity limits within these test procedures are applicable. The trials should reveal the working range to be expected, characterize the salinity-dependent variations in sensitivity of the test, and provide options for methodological adjustments to improve the stability against increased salinity. METHODS: The ELRA was carried out with the human Estrogen Receptor alpha. (ER) using the same principle like a competitive immunoassay based on ligand-protein interaction. However, an essential difference is the use of a physiologically relevant receptor instead of an antibody as a linking protein. The ELRA measures the competition of sample estrogens and anti-estrogens against estradiol supplied as a BSA-coating conjugate for the binding site of dissolved ER. Estradiol or xeno-estrogen binding is quantified by a biotynilated anti-ER antibody and the subsequent measurement of peroxidase activity by a streptavidin-POD-biotin complex. The E-Screen was performed with the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, which expresses the estrogen receptor constitutively. Cell proliferation depends on binding of estrogens or xeno-estrogens with the receptor. After incubation, estrogen-dependent cell growth was measured by sulforhodamin B staining. The YES was performed with a recombinant yeast strain, transfected with a receptor and a reporter plasmid bearing the estrogen receptor and a vitellogenin gene fused with the reporter gene lacZ. Estrogen or xeno-estrogen-dependent gene induction was measured indirectly by LacZ activity. The salinity levels were simulated in varying concentrations with NaCl from 0 to 40 per thousand or Artificial Sea Water (ASW) from 0 to 32 per thousand. RESULTS: The study characterized the factor 'salinity' for the prospective application fields of the ELRA. With reference substances such as 17-beta-estradiol, the ELRA showed classical sigmoidal concentration-effect relations in a range from 0.05 to 100 microg/l under physiological conditions. After a methodological adjustment to compensate decreasing receptor-binding affinity of estrogens and xeno-estrogens at higher salinity levels, the ELRA became applicable under salinity conditions up to concentrations of 20.5 per thousand. In tests, the ELRA reached under the influence of salinity a mean limit of detection of 0.062 microg/l 17-beta-estradiol. The mean relative inter-test error was around 11%. Above concentrations of 20.5 per thousand there is a risk of false negative assessment. Compared with the E-Screen method using the MCF7 cell line and the yeast estrogen test system (YES), the ELRA shows a lower sensitivity to 17-beta-estradiol. In the E-Screen, the cell proliferation was strongly reduced by sodium chloride induced cytotoxicity. In comparison with the E-Screen, the salinity tolerance of the YES and YAS methods is significantly higher. DISCUSSION: Despite adaption, total salinity tolerance could not be achieved with the ELRA. Freshwater samples were generally appraisable. Higher salinity levels above 20.5 per thousand would tend towards false negative results. The low inter-test error of 11% makes the ELRA suitable for the detection of estrogenic and anti-estrogenic potentials of single substances, substance mixtures, and of environmental samples. CONCLUSIONS: The ELRA is very fast and reproducible, it can be used for high-throughput screening in a microplate format at low cost, it is robust to microbial contamination, and is less susceptible to cytotoxic interferences than cell culture methods. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: In their established form, the YES and the E-Screen methods are not applicable for liquid phase testing at higher salinity conditions. The salinity-adapted test version of the ELRA described here shows a broader working range for samples. Native water samples of more or less brackish origin or high-salinity effluent samples are testable. Results of tests with sediment associated samples of different salinity will be subject of a forthcoming publication.     

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Endocrine Active Chemicals in Small Streams Indicate Differential Exposure to Aquatic Organisms

Alkylphenolic chemicals (APCs) and hormones were measured six times from February through October 2007 in three Minnesota streams receiving wastewater to identify spatial and temporal patterns in concentrations and in estrogen equivalency. Fish were collected once during the study to evaluate endpoints indicative of endocrine disruption. The most commonly detected APCs were 4‐tert‐octylphenol and 4‐nonylphenol and the most commonly detected hormones were estrone and androstenedione. Chemical concentrations were greatest for nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (NPECs) (5,000‐140,000 ng/l), followed by 4‐nonlylphenol and 4‐nonylphenolethoxylates (50‐880 ng/l), 4‐tert‐octylphenol and 4‐tert‐octylphenolethoxylates with concentrations as great as 130 ng/l, and hormones (0.1‐54 ng/l). Patterns in chemicals and estrogen equivalency indicated that wastewater effluent is a pathway of APCs and hormones to downstream locations in this study. However, upstream contributions can be equally or more important indicating alternative sources. This study indicates that aquatic organisms experience both spatially and temporally variable exposures in the number of compounds, total concentrations, and estrogenicity. This variability was evident in fish collected from the three rivers as no clear upstream to downstream pattern of endocrine disruption endpoints emerged.     

重组酵母法测评Fenton反应中激素活性变化关系

环境内分泌干扰物的污染已成为环境领域广泛关注的研究领域.文章利用重组基因酵母菌检系统评测雌二醇(E2)在非均相Fenton光催化高级氧化降解过程中的激素活性变化.色谱质谱解析中间产物的结构,很好地解释了该非均相Fenton催化氧化过程不仅可以降低E2浓度,而且可以降低母体和中间产物的雌激素活性,对水体的安全处理具有重要...     

基于A2/O处理工艺的生活污水的成组生物毒性评价

为了更加准确评估城市生活污水的综合生物毒性以及处理工艺对污水毒性的削减状况,本研究通过发光菌急性毒性、遗传毒性、雌激素活性检测方法对A~2/O工艺处理前后污水的毒性进行评价,同时通过斑马鱼暴露实验分析污水和回用水对水生生物内分泌干扰效应的作用模式.结果表明,污水厂进水具有较强的急性毒性、遗传毒性以及雌激素活性,水质较差.经二级生物处理后,上述毒性显著性降低,污水厂出水水质提高.但污水出水雌二醇当量为1.89 ng·L-1,仍可能会对受纳水体的水生生物产生潜在危害.浓缩2.5倍的水样导致雄性斑马鱼肝脏的卵黄原蛋白基因(vtg1)和雌激素受体基因(esr1)的表达水平显著上升,由此可以得出污水可通过干扰目的基因的表达来调控水生生物的内分泌活动.而esr1基因在肝脏的表达被抑制说明污水可能具有抗雌激素作用,同时反映进行生物毒性效应分析时应从多个组织或器官考虑,以获得比较全面的信息.     

典型生活污水处理工艺对雌激素效应的去除

针对水环境中内分泌干扰物低浓度、高风险的特点,采用酵母菌法和酶联免疫法对3个污水处理工艺流程中污水的雌激素活性和雌二醇(E2)水平进行评价.结果表明,污水厂进水的雌二醇当量(EEQ)和E2的水平分别为4.35~7.58 ng·L~(-1)和36.95~83.43 ng·L~(-1).雌激素活性和E2的去除主要发生在生物处理阶段,如氧化沟、A~2/O和A~2/O+MBR工艺,且经以上工艺处理之后,雌激素活性和E2分别降低71.10%~75.54%和75.88%~80.72%.污泥对雌激素效应具有一定的去除作用,通过吸附作用污泥的EEQ和E2的含量分别为1.84~2.43 ng·g~(-1)和8.45~12.84 ng·g~(-1).但污水厂出水仍具有较高的雌激素活性,其EEQ为1.06~2.19 ng·L~(-1),对受纳水体的水生生物具有潜在的危害.酶联免疫法与酵母菌法具有很好的一致性,并为水环境雌激素的快速筛选和评价提供了一个新方法.     

AO与AAO工艺去除雌激素效能对比及分析

为探讨不同污水处理工艺对雌激素类有机物的处理效能,本研究设计并同时运行了AO和AAO两种污水处理工艺,在稳定运行条件下,比较了两种工艺对各种常规水质指标和雌激素的去除状况.试验结果表明,AAO系统对污染物去除效能明显优于AO系统.AAO对COD、TN、NH4+-N、TP及TOC的去除效能分别比AO高出7.55%、20....     

中国城市污水处理厂内分泌干扰物控制优先性分析

基于已报道的中国城市污水处理厂二级处理出水中内分泌干扰物的浓度,分别在以出水最大浓度为背景的极端情景和以出水中位浓度为背景的一般情景下,计算和分析了工业化学品、农药、天然雌激素、药物4类共32种内分泌干扰物的生态风险商和雌二醇当量浓度.结果表明,在极端情景下,分别有12种和9种物质具有生态风险和内分泌干扰性;其中,分别有6种和5种物质在一般情景下也具有生态风险和内分泌干扰性.在此基础上,通过评分和排序得出在中国城市污水处理厂应当优先控制的4种污染物为炔雌醇、雌酮、壬基酚、双酚A.     

北京市城市污水雌激素活性的研究

采用重组酵母雌激素筛检法(YES法)对北京市3个城市污水处理厂工艺流程污水样品的雌激素活性进行了评价,并采用GC/MS分析了样品中8种内分泌干扰物(EDCs),以进一步阐明城市污水雌激素活性的变化.结果表明,污水处理厂能较好地降低污水雌激素活性,降低率为82.2%～97.0%,但出水仍具有一定的雌激素活性,雌二醇(E2)当量浓度(EEQ)为2.6～16.0 ng/L.GC/MS检测显示,污水处理厂并不能完全去除目标化合物,出水中平均浓度最低的是17α-E2,为13.5 ng/L,最高的是BPA,为106.4 ng/L;出水的雌激素活性主要来自类固醇雌激素.污水厂的出水排放具有潜在的环境风险,在污水处理过程中,应特别关注对类固醇雌激素的去除.