Author(s):
Rocha, Maria João 
; Cruzeiro, Catarina ; Reis, Mário ; Rocha, Eduardo ; Pardal, M. A.
Date: 2013
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10316/25666
Origin: Estudo Geral - Universidade de Coimbra
Subject(s): Estrogens; Alkylphenols; Alkylphenol ethoxylates; Phytoestrogens; Sitosterol
Description
In spite of its outstanding ecological and
touristic importance the Ria Formosa Lagoon shows
signs of anthropogenic pollution. Nonetheless, until
the present survey no studies had ever documented the
measurement of natural and pharmaceutical estrogens
(17β-estradiol, estrone, and 17α-ethynylestradiol),
xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-
nonylphenol, and their mono and diethoxylates and
bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin
A, daidzein, genistein), and sitosterol in this area. The
17 compounds measured herein are known as endocrine
disrupters (EDCs) and act over the endocrine system
even in few amounts (ng L−1–μg L−1). Thus to conclude
about the influx of EDCs in the lagoon, water samples
were taken every 2 months, during 1 year (2010), in low
tide at nine sites distributed along the coastline. Water
samples (1 L) were preconcentrated in the Oasis HLB
cartridges and cleaned in silica cartridges before their
analysis by GC-MS. Data showed the ubiquitous presence
of potentially hazardous amounts of estrogens
(particularly of ethynylestradiol, up to 24.3 ng L−1),
nonylphenol (up to 547 ng L−1), and sitosterol (up to
12,300 ng L−1), mainly in summer, suggesting that the
increase of the local number of inhabitants (tourists), the
rise of the water temperature (up to 26 °C), and the
blooming of local flora may interfere with the water
quality parameters. This makes the lagoon a potential
model to study. Taking into account the data, it was
concluded that there are conditions for the occurrence
of endocrine disruption in aquatic animals, even in areas
included in the natural park of the Formosa. Besides,
both the high amounts of un-ionized ammonia (up to 0.3
mg L−1) and phosphates (up to 1.6 mg L−1) my pose
risks for local fauna and humans. This work was financially supported by
FEDER funds through the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion
Program—COMPETE and by National Funds provided by
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), via the project
PTDC/MAR/70436/2006.
