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Determination of seventeen endocrine disruptor compounds and their spatial and seasonal distribution in Ria Formosa Lagoon (Portugal)

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Abstract

In spite of its outstanding ecological and touristic importance the Ria Formosa Lagoon shows signs of anthropogenic pollution. Nonetheless, until the present survey no studies had ever documented the measurement of natural and pharmaceutical estrogens (17β-estradiol, estrone, and 17α-ethynylestradiol), xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol, and their mono and diethoxylates and bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein), and sitosterol in this area. The 17 compounds measured herein are known as endocrine disrupters (EDCs) and act over the endocrine system even in few amounts (ng L−1–μg L−1). Thus to conclude about the influx of EDCs in the lagoon, water samples were taken every 2 months, during 1 year (2010), in low tide at nine sites distributed along the coastline. Water samples (1 L) were preconcentrated in the Oasis HLB cartridges and cleaned in silica cartridges before their analysis by GC-MS. Data showed the ubiquitous presence of potentially hazardous amounts of estrogens (particularly of ethynylestradiol, up to 24.3 ng L−1), nonylphenol (up to 547 ng L−1), and sitosterol (up to 12,300 ng L−1), mainly in summer, suggesting that the increase of the local number of inhabitants (tourists), the rise of the water temperature (up to 26 °C), and the blooming of local flora may interfere with the water quality parameters. This makes the lagoon a potential model to study. Taking into account the data, it was concluded that there are conditions for the occurrence of endocrine disruption in aquatic animals, even in areas included in the natural park of the Formosa. Besides, both the high amounts of un-ionized ammonia (up to 0.3 mg L−1) and phosphates (up to 1.6 mg L−1) my pose risks for local fauna and humans.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program—COMPETE and by National Funds provided by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), via the project PTDC/MAR/70436/2006. Acknowledgements are also due to the Administração da Região Hidrográfica do Algarve I.P (AHR-Algarve, Portugal) that provided us important technical information about the Ria Formosa Lagoon and to Francisco Arenas Parra and Carolina Caldas for their help in statistics and water processing, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cellular, Molecular and Analytical Studies, Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), CIMAR Associate Laboratory (CIMAR LA), University of Porto (UPorto), Oporto, Portugal

    Maria João Rocha, Catarina Cruzeiro & Eduardo Rocha

  2. CESPU, Superior Institute of Health Sciences–North (ISCS-N), Gandra, Paredes, Portugal

    Maria João Rocha

  3. Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), UPorto, Oporto, Portugal

    Maria João Rocha & Eduardo Rocha

  4. CFE—Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Apartado 3046, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal

    Mário Reis & Miguel Pardal

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  1. Maria João Rocha
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  2. Catarina Cruzeiro
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  3. Mário Reis
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  4. Eduardo Rocha
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  5. Miguel Pardal
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Correspondence to Maria João Rocha.

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Rocha, M.J., Cruzeiro, C., Reis, M. et al. Determination of seventeen endocrine disruptor compounds and their spatial and seasonal distribution in Ria Formosa Lagoon (Portugal). Environ Monit Assess 185, 8215–8226 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3168-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3168-5

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