Occurrence and partitioning of endocrine-disrupting compounds in the marine environment of Thermaikos Gulf, Northern Aegean Sea, Greece.

An integrated study was conducted to determine the presence of phenolic and steroid endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), in the marine environment of Thermaikos Gulf, Northern Aegean Sea, Greece. Seawater, suspended particulate matter, sediments and biota were examined for nonylphenol, octylphenol, their mono- and diethoxylate oligomers, bisphenol A, estrone, 17α-estradiol, 17β-estradiol, estriol, mestranol and 17 α -ethynylestradiol. Phenolic compounds were detected in all of the compartments, with nonylphenol and its ethoxylates being the dominant pollutants.

Partitioning of endocrine disrupting compounds in inland waters and wastewaters discharged into the coastal area of Thessaloniki, Northern Greece.

Background, Aim, And Scope: In the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, environmental objectives for the proper quality of inland, surface, transitional, coastal, and ground waters have been set. Member states are required to identify chemical pollutants of significance in the water bodies, to establish emission control measures, and to achieve quality standards. A specific category of pollutants are the compounds that may possess endocrine-related functions known as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs).

Elemental composition of suspended particulate matter and sediments in the coastal environment of Thermaikos Bay, Greece: delineating the impact of inland waters and wastewaters.

An integrate study on the occurrence of major, minor and trace elements in the coastal environment of Thermaikos Gulf, Northern Aegean Sea, was carried out. The elemental composition of marine sediments and suspended particulate matter from Thermaikos Bay as well as the composition of suspended particles from various inland water (3 rivers and 4 streams) and wastewater (4 types of municipal and industrial origin) end up to the gulf was investigated during the period 2005-2006. The elemental profiles and characteristics of particulate matter from the examined water-types were discussed.

Determination of phenolic and steroid endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental matrices.

Background, Aim And Scope: Many pollutants have received significant attention due to their potential estrogenic effect and are classified as endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). EDCs comprise many classes of organic compounds. The development or optimization of analytical protocols for the simultaneous determination of EDCs in environmental samples is an analytical challenge because these compounds exhibit different physicochemical characteristics, they occur in the aquatic environment in relatively low concentrations and, furthermore, environmental samples are considered as complex matrices.

Passive sampling of selected endocrine disrupting compounds using polar organic chemical integrative samplers.

Two types of polar organic chemical integrative samplers (pharmaceutical POCIS and pesticide POCIS) were examined for their sampling efficiency of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Laboratory-based calibration of POCISs was conducted by exposing them at high and low concentrations of 14 EDCs (4-alkyl-phenols, their ethoxylate oligomers, bisphenol A, selected estrogens and synthetic steroids) for different time periods. The kinetic studies showed an integrative uptake up to 28days.