Analysis of steroid hormones as endocrine disruptors in sewage, seawater and mussels using GC-MS techniques

Mussels are widely used to assess environmental impact of pollutants (metals and organics) in the marine environment. Mussels living near sewage outfalls may be exposed to constant levels of steroid estrogens through their food and respiration. This study examines whether these organisms can be used as a good bio-indicator for steroidal pollution. In this work, the analysis of steroid estrogens (estrone, estradiol, ethynylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol and mestranol) and fecal biomarker coprostanol in raw sewage, seawater and mussels collected from St. John's and Halifax harbours was undertaken. Two analytical methods based on GC- (ion trap) MS/MS were developed for mussel tissue and sewage analysis. A major factor in the success of method development was the removal of interferences of tissue matrix. Performance characteristics of these methods were evaluated using careful recovery experiments. Concentration of coprostanol in mussels was used as a qualitative indicator of relative sewage contamination among the sampling sites. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...