WP1 Wastewater Treatment Effluents: Endocrine Disrupters and Pharmaceuticals
Wednesday, 16 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(WIL-1117-835086) Assessment of toxicological potential in marine coastal areas using YES assay and chemical analyses.

Willett, K¹, Chaudhary, A¹, Khan, S¹, Singh, S², Azua, A², Gardinali, P², ¹ University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA² Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

ABSTRACT- The goal of this research is to assess the potential toxicological impacts of degraded water quality due to human derived activities in marine coastal areas. Specifically, samples were collected along the Black Creek Canal (C-1) located in South Miami-Dade County which runs through agricultural and urban areas before intersecting Biscayne Bay at Black Point Marina. The canal runs past one of the largest landfills in South Florida and a municipal wastewater plant serving a large urban setting. In this study, fourteen samples from different locations along the C-1 canal were tested chemically for 5 pharmaceuticals and 14 steroids and in the in vitro yeast estrogen screen (YES). YES is used to determine estrogen binding ability (estrogen equivalence) of compounds that are potential endocrine disruptors. At the C-1 canal, estrogen equivalents of the samples were non-detected (ND) - 223 pg/L, and estrone (0.37 - 0.85 ng/L), caffeine (ND - 23 ng/L) and DEET (3.8 - 27 ng/L) were detected. Coprostanol (3.6 - 5.8 ng/L) and triclosan (2.6 - 4.6 ng/L) were detected, however no nonylphenol, bisphenol A, or ethynylestradiol were detected. Standards were also tested by YES assay to determine their estrogen equivalence. Estrone and equilin, showed activity in YES assay, with estrogen equivalencies of 0.4 and 0.1 respectively whereas caffeine, DEET and cholesterol showed no activity. The estrogen equivalents detected at C-1 canal were significantly lower than what we have found at other wastewater impacted marine sites (up to 1.3 ng/L). The levels of human-derived contaminants found at C-1 canal do not indicate high potential risk to the ecosystem. However, their presence should not be downplayed because steroid hormones have the potential to cause endocrine disruption in sensitive native marine organisms at low ppt concentrations. (Supported by NOAA/NIUST).

Key words: YES assay, endocrine disruptors, estrogen equivalents, Florida