Chemicals of emerging concern in marine biota: presence of estrogenic chemicals in bile of English sole from Puget Sound

Abstract

Priority lists of Chemicals of Emerging Concern typically include estrogenic chemicals (ECs) such as natural and synthetic estrogens; 17β-estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estriol (E3), and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2), as well as phenolic compounds [e.g., bisphenol A (BPA), octylphenol (OP) and nonylphenol (NP)]. A recent pilot study in Puget Sound reported a range of biliary E2 and BPA concentrations in male English sole, which were also correlated with abnormal reproduction and elevated plasma vitellogenin in this benthic species. The current study expands the geographic scope and analyzes a larger suite of biliary ECs in both sexes. English sole were sampled in 2011 and 2013 from 10 long-term monitoring sites representing a wide range of upland development intensity and type. The 2011/13 effort initiates long term monitoring of these CECs in English sole to support the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program and the Toxics in Fish Vital Sign. The natural hormones E1 and E3 were highest in male and female sole from Elliott Bay, which is adjacent to Puget Sound’s most highly developed watershed, and were 7 to 13 times greater than sole from Nisqually Reach, a low-development site with the second highest concentrations. Similarly, the highest E2 concentrations were measured in sole from Elliott Bay, but E2 was higher in females than males at that site. BPA and OP were detected less frequently, but concentrations in sole from developed sites were generally higher than moderate- and low-development sites. EE2 and NP were never detected. Overall, ECs in both sexes from the same site were highly correlated, indicating a common environmental source for these chemicals. In addition to fulfilling monitoring needs, measuring the levels of these CECs in sole will help determine environmentally-relevant concentrations for follow-up laboratory exposure studies, a critical first-step in defining thresholds of concern for these CECs in marine fish