(Anti-)estrogenic and (anti-)androgenic effects in wastewater during advanced treatment: comparison of three in vitro bioassays

Abstract

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are mainly discharged into the environment by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and are known to induce adverse effects in aquatic life. Advanced treatment with ozone successfully removes such organic micropollutants, but an increase of estrogenic effects after the ozonation of hospital wastewater was observed in previous studies. In order to investigate this effect, estrogenic and androgenic as well as anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities were observed during treatment of hospital wastewater using three different effect-based reporter gene bioassays. Despite different matrix influences, sensitivities, and test-specific properties, all assays used obtained comparable results. Estrogenic and androgenic activities were mainly reduced during the biological treatment and further removed during ozonation and sand filtration, resulting in non-detectable agonistic activities in the final effluent. An increased estrogenic activity after ozonation could not be observed in this study. Antagonistic effects were removed in the biological treatment by up to 50 % without further reduction in the advanced treatment. Due to the presence of antagonistic substances within the wastewater, masking effects were probable. Therefore, this study showed the relevance of antagonistic activities at hospital WWTPs and illustrates the need for a better understanding about antagonistic effects.

Validation of Arxula Yeast Estrogen Screen assay for detection of estrogenic activity in water samples: Results of an international interlaboratory study

“…But the YES and E-Screen are less applicable for untreated samples with higher salinity (Kase et al, 2008). A recent study on methods for the analysis of waste water reported that cytotoxicity caused by matrix composition was lowest for the A-YES ® in comparison to the YES and ER-CALUX ® with T47D cells (Gehrmann et al, 2016). Within the interlaboratory study, it was also possible to demonstrate that the A-YES ® can be used for the analysis of waste water samples because low cell toxicity was observed and the reproducibility was very good.…”

“…However, even though not demonstrated in this interlaboratory study, such enrichment and extraction steps have been used in combination with the A-YES ® , as shown by Gehrmann et al (2016). With an LOQ of 2.5 ng/L EEQ and the fact that LOQs should be at 30% of the EQS (European Commission 2009) and the A-YES ® that is slightly more sensitive for EE2 than for E2 (factor of 1.2), an enrichment factor of approximately about 200 would be sufficient for detection of E2 and EE2 in inland and E2 in other (salt) surface waters.…”

“…Nevertheless, native water samples, especially waste water samples, are analyzed using these assays (Escher et al, 2008;Gehrmann et al, 2016). But the YES and E-Screen are less applicable for untreated samples with higher salinity (Kase et al, 2008).…”

“…Depending on their use patterns, EDCs enter aquatic ecosystems from different human and animal sources (Adeel et al 2017). The elimination of estrogenic micro-pollutants in conventional waste water treatment plants is incomplete so far and effluents are one of the major sources of estrogens and estrogenic transformation products into watercourses (Filby et al, 2007;Racz and Goel, 2010;Gehrmann et al, 2016). Because of the hormone-like action of estrogens and estrogen acting compounds and their ubiquity in environment, a number of efforts have been made to investigate their impacts on the ecosystems.…”

Editorial: Special Issue “Effect-related evaluation of anthropogenic trace substances—concepts for genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine effects”

“…& (Anti-)estrogenic and (anti-)androgenic effects in wastewater during advanced treatment: comparison of three in vitro bioassays; Gehrmann et al (2018) This communication highlights the necessity of enhanced treatment of hospital wastewaters with regard to endocrine effectiveness with particular emphasis to the role of antagonists.…”