Chemical and bioassay analysis of estrogen pollution in the surface water of the Tiaoxi River, the source river for Taihu Lake.

ABSTRACT

The estrogen pollution in the Tiaoxi River, which is the main source river for Taihu Lake, was investigated by chemical and bioassay analysis. Most estrogens species, except estrone, were not detected by the chemical analysis using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The concentration of estrone in the samples ranged from ND (below the detection limit) to 17.25 ng/L. The estrogen activity in most water samples was also determined by the yeast estrogen screen. The 17ß-estradiol equivalent in the intake of Taihu Lake was 17.60 ng/L and was present in all water samples. This study demonstrates that combining chemical and bioassay analysis is an effective way to detect environmental contamination by estrogen species. Furthermore, the results indicate that the risk of estrogen contamination in the Tiaoxi River should not be ignored.