Identification of androstenedione in a river containing paper mill effluent

Environ Toxicol Chem. 2001 Jun;20(6):1325-31. doi: 10.1897/1551-5028(2001)020<1325:ioaiar>2.0.co;2.

Abstract

Effluent from a paper mill discharging into the Fenholloway River, Taylor County, Florida, USA, contains chemicals that masculinize females of the resident population of eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), as evidenced in females by elongated anal fins, which is normally a male-specific trait. To identify androgenic components in the effluent, water collected from the Fenholloway River and a control tributary was fractionated using solid-phase extraction and reverse-phase high-performance-liquid chromatography. Two Fenholloway River fractions induced androgen receptor-dependent transcriptional activity in transient transfection cell culture assays. Of these, androstenedione was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with multiple reaction monitoring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Androstenedione / analysis*
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Cyprinodontiformes / genetics*
  • Female
  • Florida
  • Industrial Waste / analysis*
  • Male
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Paper*
  • Receptors, Androgen / genetics
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Transcription, Genetic / genetics
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

  • Industrial Waste
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Androstenedione