Effect of Light on Biodegradation of Estrone, 17β‐Estradiol,and 17α‐Ethinylestradiol in Stream Sediment

Biodegradation of [A‐ring ¹⁴C] Estrone (E1), 17β‐estradiol (E2), and 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE2) to ¹⁴CO₂ was investigated under light and dark conditions in microcosms containing epilithon or sediment collected from Boulder Creek, Colorado. Mineralization of the estrogen A‐ring was observed in all sediment treatments, but not epilithon treatments. No difference in net mineralization between light and dark treatments was observed for ¹⁴C‐E2. Net mineralization of ¹⁴C‐E1 and ¹⁴C‐EE2 was enhanced in light treatments. Extents of ¹⁴CO₂ accumulation and rates of mineralization were significantly greater for E2 than E1 under dark conditions, but were comparable under light conditions. These results indicate substantial differences in the uptake and metabolism of E1 and E2 in the environment and suggest biorecalcitrance of E1 relative to E2 in light‐limited environments. The extent of ¹⁴CO₂ accumulation and rate of mineralization for EE2 in dark treatments were less than half of that observed for E2 and generally lower than for E1, consistent with previous reports of EE2 biorecalcitrance. However, ¹⁴CO₂ accumulation and rates of mineralization were comparable for EE2, E2, and E1 under light conditions. These results indicate photoactivation and/or phototransformation/photodegradation processes can substantially enhance heterotrophic biodegradation of estrogens in sunlit environments and may play an important role in estrogen transport and attenuation.     

Statewide Survey of Hormones and Antibiotics in Surface Waters of Delaware

Water‐quality surveys have confirmed the presence of hormones and antibiotics in surface waters of the United States, which may be of concern to aquatic life. We investigated the concentrations of hormones and antibiotics in surface waters of the state of Delaware to determine – how they compared against environmental thresholds, how they varied across the state, and if they were correlated with land use type. Fifty surface water locations were sampled during early spring and late summer. Water samples were initially screened with ELISA followed by analysis with LC/MS/MS. The measured ranges of hormone concentrations were: 0‐3.71 ng/l for estrone, 0‐4.65 ng/l for estrone‐3‐sulfate, and 0‐6.27 ng/l for 17β‐estradiol. The measured ranges of antibiotics were: 0‐3.30 ng/l for sulfamerazine, 0‐10.74 ng/l for sulfamethoxazole, and 0‐2.29 ng/l for tetracycline. The predicted no‐effect concentration (PNEC) for estrone was exceeded for three samples and the PNEC for 17β‐estradiol was exceeded for 11 samples. In general, concentrations and detection frequencies were lower in the summer than the spring. The highest concentrations of hormones and antibiotics were spatially distributed in agricultural and urban areas; however, the correlations between land use type and the concentrations were weak. This study was the first statewide survey of hormones and antibiotics for Delaware and provided important baseline data on these emerging contaminants.     

重庆流域嘉陵江和长江水环境中壬基酚污染状况调查

利用固相萃取（SPE）－气相色谱－质谱法（GC－MS）对嘉陵江和长江重庆段河流和以这两条河流为水源的5个自来水厂水样中壬基粉（NP）进行了检测,河流水样中4月份NP的浓度范围为0.02-1.12μg/L，7月份为1．55－6.85μg/L，自来水厂的水样中，4月份NP浓度范围为＜0．01－0．06μg/L,7月份为.10-2.73μg/L，方法的自来水加标回收率大于90％，环境水样中的加标回收率大于80％，检测限为0.01μg/L.     

饮用水中微量内分泌干扰物质(DBP)的O3氧化去除研究

以邻苯二甲酸二正丁酯(简称DBP)为典型内分泌干扰物质的代表物，采用静态反应方式对饮用水进行了不同反应条件下的O3氧化研究．结果表明，当O3投加量仅为0．53mg／L时，水中100μg/L DBP 40min后就能去除60％以上，较高的溶液pH、温度及离子强度使DBP去除率大大提高．     

Degradation of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A in drinking water by ozone oxidation

The ozone oxidation of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A in drinking water was investigated. A stainless completely mixed reactor was employed to carry out the degradation experiments by means of a batch model. With an initial concentration of 11.0 mg/L, the removal efficiencies of BPA (bisphenol A) could be measured up to 70%, 82%, and 90% when the dosages of ozone were 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/L, respectively. The impacts on BPA degradation under the conditions of different ozone dosages, water background values, BPA initial concentrations, and ozone adding time were analyzed. The results showed that ozone dosage plays a dominant role during the process of BPA degradation, while the impact of the contact time could be ignored. UV wavelength scanning was used to confirm that the by-products were produced, which could be absorbed at UV254. The value of UV254 was observed to have changed during the ozonation process. Based on the change of UV254, it could be concluded that BPA is not completely degraded at low ozone dosage, while shorter adding time of total ozone dosage, high ozone dosage, and improvement of dissolved ozone concentration greatly contribute to the extent of BPA degradation. The effects of applied H₂O₂ dose in ozone oxidation of BPA were also examined in this study. The O₃-H₂O₂ processes proved to have similar effects on the degradation of BPA by ozone oxidation. Translated from Environmental Science, 2006, 27(2): 294–299 [译自: 环境科学]     

环境内分泌干扰物诱发小鼠睾丸细胞DNA损伤的研究

应用单细胞凝胶电泳技术技术，研究了烷基酚类化合物对离体小鼠睾丸细胞DNA的损伤作用。实验结果表明，9种烷基酚类化合物对小鼠睾丸细胞均能引起不同程度的DNA损伤，并呈现剂量效应关系，其高剂量组与对照组相比，均有极显著性差异（P＜0．01）。实验结果亦表明，其DNA的损伤程序与化学结构有一定的关系。     

Endocrine disrupters in the aquatic environment

Possible mechanisms to explain endocrine effects on reproduction and sex differentiation are presented for selected pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, industrial chemicals and plant sterols which are known to be present in the aquatic environment. Disruptions of the hormonal coordination can be induced by xenobiotics on various levels of the hierachically organised endocrine system of vertebrates. Phthalate plasticisers, for example, may disrupt the pituitary control of gonadal functions; prenatal/larval exposure to synthetic estrogen impairs sex differentiation and neuroendocrine sexual determination of the central nervous system; phenylurea herbicides block the androgen receptor; the biotransformation of weakly estrogenic plant sterol components of paper mill wastewater (e.g. βsitosterol) may lead to androgenic compounds. The effect of hypolipidemic drugs on lipid homeostasis (peroxysom proliferation) is transmitted via a receptor protein that seems to be closely related to the endocrine system both functionally as well as phylogenetically; possible interferences with the neuroendocrine control of sex differentiation are also discussed. In invertebrates, tributyltin is known to effect the biosynthesis of steroidal sexual hormones. PCBs are suspected to be competitive inhibitors of the steroid catabolism. In order to identify potential risks caused by chemicals to the reproductive capacities of aquatic animals and to the quality of drinking water, methods should be established to detect endocrine disrupters at the various levels of the endocrine system.     

Endocrine disrupter nonylphenol and bisphenol A contamination in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands, Japan--within coral reefs and adjacent river mouths

Certain chemicals possess the potential to modulate endocrine systems, and thereby interfere with reproduction and developmental processes in the wild. We analyzed endocrine disrupters nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA) levels at various sites in Okinawa and Ishigaki Islands, Japan. River-water samples showed undetectable to low concentrations of NP and BPA at most of the sites investigated. However, an appreciable amount of BPA was detected in sediments at one coral reef site. In addition, significant numbers of river sediment samples showed appreciable amounts of NP and BPA. Most of the sampling sites for this study are located within a distance of 1 km from the coral reefs, which are under influence of river-waters to a variable extent. Therefore, influence of endocrine disrupters may have already begun on adjacent coral reefs. Both endocrine disrupters were positively correlated with human population densities, but not with the contents of red soil generated by farm land reformation. Therefore, it is concluded that NP and BPA pollution is a consequence of human waste discharge, both domestic and industrial, and not by agricultural activities.     

环境内分泌干扰物促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制研究进展

乳腺癌是女性中常见的癌症,EDCs（environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals,环境内分泌干扰物）具有雌激素活性,能促进乳腺细胞的增殖,明确EDCs在乳腺癌细胞增殖中的作用和机制,有助于乳腺癌的预防.在归纳整理国内外相关研究基础上,总结了EDCs通过激活雌激素受体信号通路、抑制细胞凋亡和改变细胞周期等方面促进乳腺细胞的增殖,并对其分子机制进行了全面综述.EDCs促进乳腺细胞增殖的分子机制有:①EDCs通过与雌激素核受体（nERs）结合形成二聚体,改变受体构象,并结合到靶基因雌激素响应元件（ERE）上,进而调控增殖相关靶基因转录和蛋白表达;②EDCs也可通过与雌激素膜受体（mERs）结合,激活快速非基因组信号通路,改变靶蛋白活性或靶基因表达;③EDCs也可通过上调凋亡抑制蛋白Bcl-2和Bcl-xL的表达,抑制细胞凋亡;④EDCs还可通过上调细胞周期蛋白（cyclin）表达、提高周期依赖性蛋白激酶（CDKs）活性,加快细胞周期;⑤EDCs通过基因组、非基因组信号途径的交互,上调cyclin D和c-Myc表达,再通过CDK磷酸化细胞周期调节因子Rb蛋白,释放转录因子E2Fs,加速细胞从G₁期向S期的转变,促进细胞增殖.建议今后从与内源激素交互、影响雌激素E₂合成以及低剂量联合作用3个方面来探讨EDCs对乳腺细胞的增殖机制,以期为乳腺致癌物的筛查、乳腺癌预防和治疗以及乳腺细胞增殖机制的深入研究提供参考.      

Screening of agonistic activities against four nuclear receptors in wastewater treatment plants in Japan using a yeast two-hybrid assay

To assess the potential endocrine disruptive effects through multiple nuclear receptors(NRs),especially non-steroidal NRs,in municipal wastewater,we examined the agonistic activities on four NRs(estrogen receptor α,thyroid hormone receptor α,retinoic acid receptor α and retinoid X receptor α) of untreated and treated wastewater from municipal wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) in Japan using a yeast two-hybrid assay.Investigation of the influent and effluent of seven WWTPs revealed that agonistic activities...