Endocrine disrupting chemicals-Linking internal exposure to vitellogenin levels and ovotestis in Abramis brama from Dutch surface waters.

The exposure of male bream from three Dutch freshwater locations to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and corresponding effects are described in this study. Fish specimen displaying reproductive disorders associated with high levels of plasma vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations and occurrence of ovotestis (OT) were investigated. To provide information on the full spectrum of EDCs in fish tissue, adipose tissue samples of individual fish were analyzed for nearly 130 chemicals targeting different compound classes (bisphenols, alkylphenols, pesticides, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and biphenyls (PBBs)) and steroid hormones. To establish whether tissue from specimen with reproductive disorders shows a spectrum of EDCs that is qualitatively and quantitatively different from that of controls free of symptoms, bioassay-directed fractionation was performed using the recombinant yeast estrogen screen (YES), the E-Screen bioassay, the human sulfotransferase 1E1 (SULT1E1) inhibition assay, and the coumestrol-based estrogen receptor α (ERα) high resolution screening (HRS) assay. No differences in estrogenicity could be observed between the cases and controls and steroidal estrogens accounted for the majority of estrogenicity found in the complex mixtures. In this study, the combination of the different assays employed to measure total estrogenicity and the SULT1E1 inhibition does not predict the outcome of unwanted physiological effects, however, it can be used to determine the presence of EDCs in fish samples and their estrogenic effects.

Combined biological and chemical assessment of estrogenic activities in wastewater treatment plant effluents.

Five wastewater treatment plant effluents were analyzed for known endocrine disrupters and estrogenicity. Estrogenicity was determined by using the yeast estrogen screen (YES) and by measuring the blood plasma vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations in exposed male rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). While all wastewater treatment plant effluents contained measurable concentrations of estrogens and gave a positive response with the YES, only at two sites did the male fish have significantly increased VTG blood plasma concentrations after the exposure, compared to pre-exposure concentrations. Estrone (E1) concentrations ranged up to 51 ng L(-1), estradiol (E2) up to 6 ng L(-1), and ethinylestradiol (EE2) up to 2 ng L(-1) in the 90 samples analyzed. Alkylphenols, alkylphenolmonoethoxylates and alkylphenoldiethoxylates, even though found at microg L(-1) concentrations in effluents from wastewater treatment plants with a significant industrial content, did not contribute much to the overall estrogenicity of the samples taken due to their low relative potency. Expected estrogenicities were calculated from the chemical data for each sample by using the principle of concentration additivity and relative potencies of the various chemicals as determined with the yeast estrogen screen. Measured and calculated estradiol equivalents gave the same order of magnitude and correlated rather well (R(2)=0.6).