Assessing the fate and transformation by-product potential of trenbolone during chlorination.

Chlorine disinfection is an effective means for managing microbiological activity during drinking water treatment and can eliminate a number of known organic contaminants. Trenbolone is an androgenic steroidal hormone used primarily as a growth stimulant in the animal feedstock industry and has been found in waterways downstream of such operations. Due to its relatively stable environmental presence, trenbolone may migrate downstream where it can impact drinking water resources. Trenbolone was exposed to hypochlorite under various reaction conditions to determine its stability and the scope of its transformation by-products. The results indicate trenbolone is highly reactive in the presence of hypochlorite and results in an extensive number of transformation by-products. Continued exposure to hypochlorite resulted in a highly dynamic system involving secondary transformations of most of the initial by-products. The results indicate the reactivity of trenbolone is affected by pH and alters the distribution of observed transformation by-products.