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Effect directed analysis and mixture effects of estrogenic compounds in a sediment of the river Elbe

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Abstract

Introduction

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are present in the environment and can have serious effects on humans and wildlife. For the establishment of environmental quality guidelines and regulation of EDCs, a better understanding and knowledge of the occurrence and the behavior of environmental EDCs is necessary. The aim of the present study was to comprehensively identify substances that are responsible for the estrogenic effect of an environmental sediment sample taken from the river Elbe/Germany.

Discussion

The estrogenic effect of the organic sediment extract was determined using the yeast–estrogen–screen (YES). The sample was fractionated by liquid chromatography (LC) for effect directed analysis. The composition of estrogen-active fractions was further investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-resolution LC–MS analysis. The composition of the environmental sample was rebuilt with pure compounds in order to assess the partition of estrogenic activity caused by the identified compounds. The organic sediment extract showed an estrogenic potential of 1.9 ± 0.4 ng/g ethinylestradiol equivalents in the sediment. The most prominent contaminants with an estrogenic potential were 17β-estradiol, estrone, and 4-iso-nonylphenols, but other xenoestrogens like bisphenol A and stigmasterol could be found as well. A rebuild of the sample was measured in the YES in order to investigate mixture effects. About 67 % of the observed estrogenic effect in the sediment extract could be explained by a mixture which contained all identified compounds. Chlorophene (o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol)—a widely used antiseptic that was also identified in the sediment extract—has xenoestrogenic properties in the YES that are in the range of other xenoestrogens like 4-n-nonylphenol. This is the first report on chlorophene acting as a xenoestrogen.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ramona Pfänder and Christel Möhlenkamp for excellent technical assistance throughout the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068, Koblenz, Germany

    Sebastian Schmitt, Georg Reifferscheid, Evelyn Claus, Michael Schlüsener & Sebastian Buchinger

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  1. Sebastian Schmitt
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  2. Georg Reifferscheid
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  3. Evelyn Claus
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  4. Michael Schlüsener
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  5. Sebastian Buchinger
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Correspondence to Sebastian Buchinger.

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Responsible editor: Hongwen Sun

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Schmitt, S., Reifferscheid, G., Claus, E. et al. Effect directed analysis and mixture effects of estrogenic compounds in a sediment of the river Elbe. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 3350–3361 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0852-x

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