Tracking multiple modes of endocrine activity in Australia's largest inland sewage treatment plant and effluent- receiving environment using a panel of in vitro bioassays

Abstract

Estrogenicity of sewage effluents, and related ecotoxicological effects in effluent-receiving environments, have been widely reported over the last 2 decades. However, relatively little attention has been given to other endocrine pathways that may be similarly disrupted by a growing list of contaminants of concern. Furthermore, the Australian evidence base is limited compared with those of Europe and North America. During a low dilution period in summer, the authors investigated multiple endocrine potencies in Australia's largest inland sewage treatment plant (STP) and the Lower Molonglo/Upper Murrumbidgee effluent-receiving environment. This STP receives 900 L/s of mostly domestic wastewater from a population of 350 000, and contributes a high proportion of total flow in the lower catchment during dry periods. A panel of in vitro receptor-driven transactivation assays were used to detect (anti)estrogenic, (anti) androgenic, (anti)progestagenic, glucocorticoid, and peroxisome-proliferator activity at various stages of the sewage treatment process. Total estrogenic and (anti)androgenic potency was removed after primary and/or secondary treatment; however, total removal efficiency for glucocorticoid potency was poorer (53-66%), and progestagenic potency was found to increase along the treatment train. Estrogenicity was detected in surface waters and bed sediments upstream and downstream of the effluent outfall, at maximum levels 10 times lower than low-hazard thresholds. Glucocorticoid and progestagenic activity were found to persist to 4 km downstream of the effluent outfall, suggesting that future research is needed on these endocrine-disrupting chemical categories in effluent-receiving systems.

Wastewater treatment efficacy evaluated with in vitro bioassays

“…Between 67 and 69% removal of GR activity was observed. Poor to moderate removal of GR activity has previously been reported, with between -7 and 66% removal efficacy observed ( Bain et al., 2014 ; Roberts et al., 2015 ; Houtman et al., 2018 ). Oxidative stress response removal varied between WWTPs and over time, with between 10 and 90% removal efficacy observed (average of 60%) in all plants except P1 and P2.…”

Combining in vitro reporter gene bioassays with chemical analysis to assess changes in the water quality along the Ammer River, Southwestern Germany

“…In previous studies, diverse batteries of in vitro bioassays were used to assess the chemical burden of wastewater, recycled water, surface water and drinking water (e.g., from Australia [ 9 ], the US [ 10 ], Europe (multinational) [ 11 ], the Netherlands [ 12 ], Slovenia [ 13 ], France [ 14 ]), the impact of untreated wastewater on surface waters [ 15 ] and the efficiency of nature-based [ 16 ], conventional [ 17 ] and advanced [ 18 ] wastewater treatment technologies.…”

Towards Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for the Australasian Region of Oceania

“…Although tremendous progress has been achieved in adapting and validating in vitro tools to environmental monitoring and risk assessment (e.g., in Australasia, Coleman et al 2008;Mispagel et al 2009;Chinathamby et al 2013;Bain et al 2014;Escher et al 2014;Leusch et al 2014;Scott et al 2014;Roberts et al 2015;Boehler et al 2017;Neale, Achard et al 2017;Neale, Altenburger et al 2017;Chen et al 2018;Leusch et al 2018), some fundamental questions still need to be systematically addressed before these techniques can become reliable predictors of whole animal level effects: 1) Refine quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QI-VIVE): Although there is a clear correlation between in vitro response and in vivo effects for some endpoints such as acute toxicity (Kaiser 1998;Tanneberger et al 2013;Natsch et al 2018) and receptor-mediated endocrine effects (Sonneveld et al 2006(Sonneveld et al , 2011Henneberg et al 2014), toxicokinetic factors (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) still pose a difficult challenge for QIVIVE (Blaauboer 2015;Meek and Lipscomb 2015), although groundbreaking studies suggest that this may soon be within reach (Rotroff et al 2010;Wetmore 2015). 2) Fully map relevant AOPs: There is still much work to be done to map key events (KEs) to connect the dots between the molecular or cellular initiating event and the ultimate apical consequence to produce comprehensive AOPs, for both humans and ecosystems ).…”