Schiliró T, Pignata C, Fea E, Gilli G
Department of Public Health and Microbiology, University of Turin, Via Santena 5 Bis, 10126, Italy.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2004 Nov;47(4):456-62. doi: 10.1007/s00244-003-0153-y.
Many xenobiotics, widely diffused in the environment, have the potential to disrupt the delicate endocrine system balance of wildlife and humans. Substances showing hormone-like actions in living organisms are defined endocrine-disruptor chemicals and they may mimic, block, or interfere with the synthesis, release, transport, elimination, and binding of natural hormones. Different ecotoxicologic studies were applied to screen for the discharge of estrogenic and toxic substances into the aquatic environment from a small industrial wastewater treatment plant based in Northern Italy. Samples of wastewater (3 L) were taken at three different periods during the year from different points of the plant's process: three phases of treatment, and effluent. Untreated samples (1 L) were assayed with two toxicity tests: Microtox and Daphnia magna. A simplified proliferation test using human estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 breast cancer cells (E-screen assay) was performed on 2-L samples after solid-phase extraction for the determination of total estrogenic activity; the presence of estrogenic substances was evaluated by measuring the proliferation rate in cells exposed to samples. The results of the Microtox assay employing the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri were compared with data obtained from whole-effluent toxicity testing methods employing D. magna. Toxicity was found only for the influent point. The proliferative effect of the five points, relative to the positive control 17beta-estradiol (relative proliferation effect), was between 2.4% and 39%, and the 17beta-estradiol equivalent concentrations were between 0.06 and 3.94 ng/L. A first comparison between results from toxicity load and estrogenic activity was performed. At all process points, the effluent samples were considered acceptable (taking only toxicity into account), but we demonstrated that they had estrogenic activity in the river water indicating an input of estrogenic substances by way of the treatment plant.
许多广泛散布于环境中的外源性物质，有可能扰乱野生动物和人类体内微妙的内分泌系统平衡。在生物体内表现出类似激素作用的物质被定义为内分泌干扰化学物质，它们可能会模拟、阻断或干扰天然激素的合成、释放、运输、消除及结合过程。开展了不同的生态毒理学研究，以筛查意大利北部一家小型工业废水处理厂向水生环境排放的雌激素类和有毒物质。一年中的三个不同时期，从该厂工艺的不同环节（三个处理阶段及出水）采集了3升废水样本。对1升未处理样本进行了两种毒性测试：Microtox测试和大型溞测试。对经过固相萃取的2升样本进行了使用人雌激素受体阳性MCF-7乳腺癌细胞的简化增殖测试（E-筛选试验），以测定总雌激素活性；通过测量暴露于样本的细胞中的增殖率来评估雌激素物质的存在情况。将采用费氏弧菌的Microtox测试结果与采用大型溞的全废水毒性测试方法获得的数据进行了比较。仅进水点检测到毒性。相对于阳性对照17β-雌二醇，五个采样点的增殖效应（相对增殖效应）在2.4%至39%之间，17β-雌二醇当量浓度在0.06至3.94纳克/升之间。对毒性负荷和雌激素活性的结果进行了首次比较。在所有工艺环节点，出水样本（仅考虑毒性）被认为是可接受的，但我们证明它们在河水中具有雌激素活性，表明有雌激素物质通过处理厂进入水体。
