An assessment of in vitro androgenic activity and the identification of environmental androgens in United Kingdom estuaries

Abstract

Environmental androgens are a group of compounds that to date have received very little attention. In this study, a yeast-based androgen screen (YAS) was used to determine the level of in vitro androgenic activity in seven United Kingdom estuaries. Surface water, sediment pore water, and sediment particulate material solvent extracts collected from Southampton Water, the Thames, Mersey, Tees, Tyne, Clyde, and Forth were tested for in vitro androgenic activity. Eleven of the 41 surface water samples collected displayed androgenic activity >2 ng dihydrotestosterone (DHT) equivalents/L (3-9 ng DHT/L), while eight of the 39 sediment pore waters collected showed activity >45 ng DHT/L (51-187 ng DHT/L). High levels of androgenic activity were determined in the solvent extracts of sediments, with 10 of 39 samples exhibiting a level of androgenic activity >454 ng DHT/kg (1,020-15,300 ng DHT/kg). In vitro YAS testing of five selected sewage treatment works (STW) effluents entering these estuaries showed that measurable levels (34-635 ng DHT/L) of androgenic activity were observed in those receiving only primary treatment (Howdon STW and Irvine Valley Sewer) at the time of the survey. A toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) study of Irvine Valley Sewer effluent using the YAS assay was used to identify the natural steroids/steroid metabolites dehydrotestosterone, androstenedione, androstanedione, 5beta-androstane-3alpha,11beta-diol-17-one, androsterone, and epi-androsterone as responsible for 99% of the in vitro activity determined in the effluent.

Estrogenic and androgenic effects of municipal wastewater effluent on reproductive endpoint biomarkers in three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

“…Although domestic effluent is suspected to have a high content of natural androgens, an advanced level of treatment, such as activated sludge systems, seems to be very efficient in removing androgenic compounds [30]. Wastewater effluent did not cause any significant androgenic effects on the reproductive parameters in stickleback, but it is important to remember that the effluent may have been androgenic but was not detected with the biomarkers used in the present study.…”

Occurrence and Some Properties of the Androgenic Activity in Municipal Sewage Effluents

“…[16,17] Although no adverse effects on aquatic organisms have so far been associated with discharges in such effluents, a survey of effects in wastewaters is motivated. [19] It was found that androstenedione contributed to 36%, androstanedione 33%, androsterone and epiandrosterone together 14% and dehydrotestosterone to 15% of the in vitro androgenic activity in the effluent, respectively. [18] Untreated wastewaters contained from below the detection limit to 4300 ng DHT equivalents/L.…”

Identification strategy for unknown pollutants using high-resolution mass spectrometry: Androgen-disrupting compounds identified through effect-directed analysis

“…This fractionation approach is a non-selective and non-destructive clean-up methodology that aims to enable the identification of all biologically active compounds in the sample. EDA has successfully been applied to evaluate endocrine potencies in several water systems, such as waste-water treatment plants [1, 2], rivers [2, 3], harbor areas [4], marine sediment [5], and biota [6]. …”