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Pilot study of global endocrine disrupting activity in Iowa public drinking water utilities using cell-based assays
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Pilot study of global endocrine disrupting activity in Iowa public drinking water utilities using cell-based assays

Rena R Jones, Diana A Stavreva, Peter J Weyer, Lyuba Varticovski, Maki Inoue-Choi, Danielle N Medgyesi, Nicole Chavis, Barry I Graubard, Terence Cain, Michael Wichman, …
The Science of the total environment, Vol.714, pp.136317-136317
04/20/2020
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136317
PMID: 32018941
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/8459208View
Open Access

Abstract

Some anthropogenic substances in drinking water are known or suspected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), but EDCs are not routinely measured. We conducted a pilot study of 10 public drinking water utilities in Iowa, where common contaminants (e.g., pesticides) are suspected EDCs. Raw (untreated) and finished (treated) drinking water samples were collected in spring and fall and concentrated using solid phase extraction. We assessed multiple endocrine disrupting activities using novel mammalian cell-based assays that express nuclear steroid receptors (aryl hydrocarbon [AhR], androgenic [AR], thyroid [TR], estrogenic [ER] and glucocorticoid [GR]). We quantified each receptor's activation relative to negative controls and compared activity by season and utility/sample characteristics. Among 62 samples, 69% had AhR, 52% AR, 3% TR, 2% ER, and 0% GR activity. AhR and AR activities were detected more frequently in spring (p =0 .002 and < 0.001, respectively). AR activity was more common in samples of raw water (p =0 .02) and from surface water utilities (p =0 .05), especially in fall (p =0 .03). Multivariable analyses suggested spring season, surface water, and nitrate and disinfection byproduct concentrations as determinants of bioactivity. Our results demonstrate that AR and AhR activities are commonly found in Iowa drinking water, and that their detection varies by season and utility/sample characteristics. Screening EDCs with cell-based bioassays holds promise for characterizing population exposure to diverse EDCs mixtures. [Display omitted] •Raw and treated drinking water samples from 10 public utilities in Iowa were collected in two seasons.•Mammalian cell-based assays were used to assess 5 classes of bioactivity.•Aryl hydrocarbon and androgenic activity was common; thyroid, estrogen, and glucocorticoid activities were not.•Season, water source, and regulated water contaminants were potential determinants of bioactivity.•Bioassays may enable characterization of exposure to a mixture of endocrine disrupting compounds.
Drinking water Hormones Endocrine disrupting compounds Public water supplies Biological activity

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