Steroidal Sex Hormones in our Water Supply

Kathryn Bradfield
June 25th, 2007

Introduction

Millions of women worldwide use hormones in the form of birth control and hormone
replacement drugs each day. In the course of the day, excess hormones are flushed down
toilets and are piped to water treatment facilities. Steroidal sex hormones have been found in
concentrations of around 1ng/liter in drinking water, which is a low level but still active
physiologically for organisms. (Bodzek and Dudziak 2005)
Although estrogens have always been excreted by animals, current data shows that there is
an increase in synthetic forms of steroidal sex hormones in municipal water effluent from
households, hospitals and pharmaceutical plants which is accumulating in European streams.
(Bodzek and Dudziak 2005)

Researchers in Colorado have seen a change in the fish tissue which they believe is related to
chemical effluent from the surrounding communities. University of Colorado researchers have
found that ninety percent of the white suckers swimming downstream of a water treatment
plant on Boulder Creek were female. Upstream, there was an even split between the male and
female populations in these fish. (Woodling, Norris, Maldonado, Vajda, Lopez, 2005) The research at
this site also has shown a contraceptive effect on male fish, producing less sperm and also
finding oocytes in testicular tissue in male fish. Researchers have linked this to the elevated
levels of steroidal sex hormones in the water.
Table 1

This table shows the number of intersex fish and the abundance of female fish in the Colorado research
sites. Woodling, et al.

This paper attempts to examine the available raw data on estrogen levels in water supplies in
order to see if the data found in European streams (Bodzek and Dudziak 2005) and in Boulder
Creek, Colorado are more than localized trends.

Methods

Raw data from U.S. Geological Survey open-file report 02-94 taken and analyzed using simple
statistical techniques. This water-quality data was collected during 1999 and 2000. A total of
139 streams in 30 states were sampled and analyzed for 95 different organic wastewater
contaminants, including levels of the most important estrogen hormones (estradiol, estriol,
and estrone). In this paper, 73 of these stream sites were analyzed for the levels of these
steroidal contaminants. These values were then compared to the minimum levels of
hormones known to effect organisms which are reported in literature.

Data
Site
code
(State
and
Site #)

(U.S. Geological Survey open-file report 02-94)

Table 2

Date
(month-dayyear)

Time
(24hour
)

Type
of
sampl
e

Estriol
(50-271)

Estrone
(53-167)

17aestradiol
(57-910)

17bestradiol
(50-282)

17aethynyl
estradiol
(57-63-6)

AR06

5/4/1999

2050

do.

<0.005

<0.005

<0.005

<0.005

<0.005

AZ01

6/29/2000

1115

do.

0.0190

0.0920

<.005

<.005

<.005

AZ02

6/27/2000

1625

do.

<.005

<.005

0.0740

0.0930

<.005

AZ04

6/27/2000

1035

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

CA01

5/18/2000

1130

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

CA02

6/28/2000

1300

do.

0.0100

<.005

<.005

0.0020

<.005

CA03

8/16/2000

1700

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.0740

<.005

CA04

8/9/2000

1700

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.0090

<.005

CO01

4/21/1999

1250

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

FL01

8/28/2000

1215

do.

<.005

<.005

0.0230

<.005

<.005

FL02

8/23/2000

1215

do.

0.0430

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.2730

GA04

5/25/1999

840

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

GA07

5/24/1999

1420

do.

<.005

0.1120

<.005

<.005

<.005

IA09

4/6/1999

1245

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

ID02

8/15/2000

1250

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

ID03

8/16/2000

1222

do.

0.0120

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

ID04

5/17/2000

1215

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

IL05

5/20/1999

810

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

LA01

4/19/1999

1130

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA02

7/25/2000

630

do.

0.0270

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA03

7/25/2000

750

blank

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA03

7/25/2000

800

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA03

7/25/2000

810

regular
duplica
te

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA04

7/25/2000

900

regular

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.0030

<.005

MA05

7/25/2000

1100

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA06

7/25/2000

1010

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MA07

7/25/2000

1130

do.

0.0230

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.1160

MI03

6/16/1999

1045

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MN03

10/3/2000

1105

blank

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MN03

10/3/2000

1115

regular

0.0200

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MN04

7/13/1999

1300

do.

<.005

<.005

0.0010

<.005

<.005

MO02

4/29/1999

1245

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MO03

4/30/1999

830

do.

0.0350

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MO04

4/30/1999

1300

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MO05

5/15/1999

1315

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MO06

4/7/1999

845

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MT01

3/16/2000

1040

do.

<.005

0.0270

<.005

<.005

<.005

MT02

3/16/2000

1400

do.

0.0310

<.005

0.0360

0.0440

0.0730

MT03

3/17/2000

1100

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MT04

3/6/2000

1400

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

MT05

3/22/2000

1130

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NE02

6/15/1999

1730

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY01

3/28/2000

1310

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY02

8/8/2000

1150

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.0310

NY03

8/23/2000

1340

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY04

8/8/2000

1100

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY05

8/8/2000

1300

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY06

8/8/2000

1500

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY07

8/8/2000

1410

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY08

8/30/2000

1430

regular

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY09

8/10/2000

1215

do.

0.0030

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY10

8/10/2000

1120

do.

0.0060

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY11

8/10/2000

1609

blank

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY11

8/10/2000

1625

regular

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

NY12

8/10/2000

1515

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OH01

5/18/1999

1330

do.

0.0150

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OH02

5/24/1999

1015

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OH05

5/20/1999

1000

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OH08

6/14/1999

1120

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OK01

5/13/1999

1315

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OK03

5/3/1999

1045

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OK04

5/24/1999

1300

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OR02

7/10/2000

1400

do.

0.0110

0.0090

<.005

<.005

<.005

OR03

6/3/2000

1030

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

OR04

7/24/2000

1130

do.

<.005

0.0080

<.005

<.005

<.005

PA04

5/27/1999

1000

do.

0.0190

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

TX01

8/9/1999

830

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

UT01

6/14/1999

1140

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

0.0010

<.005

VA01

8/1/2000

1500

do.

0.0200

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

WA01

7/19/2000

930

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

WA03

5/14/1999

1530

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

WA06

3/29/2000

1000

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

WI02

4/23/1999

910

do.

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

<.005

Analysis

Table 3
n=73

Median Reporting
Level g/L
Minimum values g/L
Maximum g/L

Estriol
(50-27-1)

Estrone
(53-167)

17aestradiol
(57-91-0)

17bestradiol
(50-28-2)

17aethynyl
estradiol
(57-63-6)

0.019

0.027

0.030

0.009

0.095

0.003

0.008

0.001

0.001

0.031

0.043

0.112

0.074

0.093

0.273

Median reported values were used instead of mean values because there were a few extreme outliers
that would have greatly influenced the mean value.

Conclusions
Toxicity in concentrations of reproductive hormones may have greater implications for the health for
small organisms, especially aquatic life. Even very low-levels (<0.001 g/L) of steroidal sex hormones
can cause serious inter-sex tissue and sterilization in aquatic species.
This table shows the threshold concentration for biological activity of rainbow trout.
Contaminant

Threshold
Concentration

Assay

Reference*

Ethinyl estradiol

1ng/L

Rainbow Trout

17B-estradiol

10ng/L

Rainbow Trout

Estrone

44ng/L

Rainbow Trout

4-nonylphenol

10ug/L

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow Trout

4-octylphenol
3 ug/L
* 1= Routledge et al (1998); 2= Jobling et al.
(1996)

Table 4

Concentrations of these active levels were found in all the 73 water samples taken by the USGS in
1999-2000 which were the focus of this study. All of the streams data yielded a concentration capable
of affecting living tissue.
So far, European researchers have addressed this growing ecological concern more vigorously than
their US counterparts. Current studies are yielding new ways to more effectively remove the hormones
from the water supply. Micha Bodzek and Mariusz Dudziak have shown the most effective water
treatment is a two-step coagulation and nanofiltration which removes >81.5% of estrogens.

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