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Spatial distribution and quantification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in Sado River estuary, Portugal

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 159, Article number: 415 (2009) Cite this article

Abstract

The important Portuguese Sado River estuary has never been investigated for the presence of potentially endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), such as natural estrogens (estradiol, estrone), pharmaceutical estrogens (17α-ethynylestradiol), phytoestrogens (daidzein, genistein and biochanin A), or industrial chemicals (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and bisphenol A). Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate their presence at 13 sampling points distributed between both the industrial and the natural reserve areas of the estuary, zones 1 and 2, respectively. For that, water samples collected in summer and winter were processed by solid phase extraction and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Results showed that estrone, ethynylestradiol, all the aforementioned phytoestrogens as well as bisphenol A and 4-octylphenol were found in zone 1. In zone 2, neither estrogens nor 4-OP were found. However, in the same zone, daidzein (500 ng/L) and genistein (320 ng/L) attained their highest levels in summer, whereas biochanin A peaked in winter (170 ng/L). Furthermore, bisphenol A was also found in some areas of zone 2, but showed similar concentrations in both surveys (about 220 ng/L). This study demonstrated that the Sado River estuary had low EDCs levels, suggesting that the Sado’s high hydrodynamic activity may be involved in the dilution of local pollution. It was suggested that at the current levels of concentrations, all assayed EDCs are unlikely to individually cause endocrine disruption in local animals. However, under a continuous exposure scenario, an additive and/or synergistic action of the estrogenic chemicals load can not be excluded, and so, continuous monitoring is advisable.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Superior Institute of Health Sciences–North (ISCS-N), Rua Central de Gandra, 1317, 4585-116, Gandra PRD, Portugal

    Cláudia Ribeiro, Maria Elizabeth Tiritan & Maria João Rocha

  2. Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), CIMAR Associate Laboratory (CIMAR LA), University of Porto (UPorto), Porto, Portugal

    Cláudia Ribeiro, Eduardo Rocha & Maria João Rocha

  3. Centre of Studies of Organic Chemistry, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of the University of Porto (CEQOFFUP), Porto, Portugal

    Cláudia Ribeiro & Maria Elizabeth Tiritan

  4. Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto (UPorto), Porto, Portugal

    Cláudia Ribeiro & Eduardo Rocha

  5. IMAR—Institute of Marine Research, Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Miguel Ângelo Pardal & Rui Miguel Margalho

Authors
  1. Cláudia Ribeiro
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  2. Miguel Ângelo Pardal
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  3. Maria Elizabeth Tiritan
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  4. Eduardo Rocha
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  5. Rui Miguel Margalho
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  6. Maria João Rocha
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Correspondence to Maria João Rocha.

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Ribeiro, C., Pardal, M.Â., Tiritan, M.E. et al. Spatial distribution and quantification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in Sado River estuary, Portugal. Environ Monit Assess 159, 415 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0639-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0639-1

Keywords

  • Biochanin-A
  • Bisphenol-A
  • Daidzein
  • Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
  • Genistein
  • Phytoestrogens
  • Sado River estuary