A new study has found that treated wastewater contains a wide range of antiandrogens (AA) ? compounds that can block male hormones and that can accumulate in fish.
A new study has found that treated wastewater contains a wide range of antiandrogens (AA) – compounds that can block male hormones and that can accumulate in fish.1
Profiling of AA contaminants in wastewater and fish was conducted using HPLC in combination with in vitro androgen receptor transcription screens. This took place over 10 days as rainbow trout were exposed to effluent from a domestic sewage plant in the UK. The bile in the fish was extracted and separated into fractions, using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The bile was profiled for AA activity using yeast (anti-YAS) and mammalian-based androgen receptor transcription screens. The predominant fractions with AA activity in both androgen receptor screens contained the germicides chlorophene and triclosan, and together these contaminants accounted for over half of the total anti-YAS activity in the fish bile. Other AA compounds identified in bile were chloroxylenol, dichlorophene, resin acids, napthols, oxybenzone, 4-nonylphenol and bisphenol A.
The study was able to identify for the first time that a diverse range of AA chemicals in wastewater is available to fish. This now need to be further examined to establish whether these compounds are a risk to the reproductive health of the fish.
1. Pawel Rostkowski et al., Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, DOI: 10.1021/ es202966c
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
The Next Frontier for Mass Spectrometry: Maximizing Ion Utilization
January 20th 2025In this podcast, Daniel DeBord, CTO of MOBILion Systems, describes a new high resolution mass spectrometry approach that promises to increase speed and sensitivity in omics applications. MOBILion recently introduced the PAMAF mode of operation, which stands for parallel accumulation with mobility aligned fragmentation. It substantially increases the fraction of ions used for mass spectrometry analysis by replacing the functionality of the quadrupole with high resolution ion mobility. Listen to learn more about this exciting new development.
Using Chromatography to Explore Fluorescent Bioactive Compounds in the Coelomic Fluid of Earthworms
February 6th 2025A study aiming to identify fluorescent bioactive compounds in the coelomic fluid of earthworms, as well as to investigate their structural and functional characteristics for possible use in biomedical applications, utilized a variety of chromatographic techniques.
The Complexity of Oligonucleotide Separations
January 9th 2025Peter Pellegrinelli, Applications Specialist at Advanced Materials Technology (AMT) explains the complexity of oligonucleotide separations due to the unique chemical properties of these molecules. Issues such as varying length, sequence complexity, and hydrophilic-hydrophobic characteristics make efficient separations difficult. Separation scientists are addressing these challenges by modifying mobile phase compositions, using varying ion-pairing reagents, and exploring alternative separation modes like HILIC and ion-exchange chromatography. Due to these complexities, AMT has introduced the HALO® OLIGO column, which offers high-resolution, fast separations through its innovative Fused-Core® technology and high pH stability. Alongside explaining the new column, Peter looks to the future of these separations and what is next to come.