Serum estrogenicity and biological responses in African catfish raised in wastewater ponds in Ghana

S. Asem-Hiablie; C. D. Church; H. A. Elliott; N. W. Shappell; H. L. Schoenfuss; P. Drechsel; C. F. Williams; A. L. Knopf; M. Y. Dabie

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032

Serum estrogenicity and biological responses in African catfish raised in wastewater ponds in Ghana

S. Asem-Hiablie, C. D. Church, H. A. Elliott, N. W. Shappell, H. L. Schoenfuss, P. Drechsel, C. F. Williams, A. L. Knopf, M. Y. Dabie

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reuse of wastewater for aquaculture improves the efficient use of water and promotes sustainability but the potential effects of endocrine disrupting compounds including estrogens in wastewater are an emerging challenge that needs to be addressed. We examined the biological effects of wastewater-borne estrogens on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) raised in a wastewater stabilization pond (WSP) of a functioning municipal wastewater treatment plant, a wastewater polishing pond (WWP) of a dysfunctional treatment plant, and a reference pond (RP) unimpacted by wastewater, located in Ghana. Measurements of estrogen concentrations in pond water by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry showed that mean 17 β-estradiol concentrations were higher in the wastewater ponds (WWP, 6.6. ng/L. ±. 2.7. ng/L; WSP, 4.9. ng/L. ±. 1.0) than the reference (RP, 3.4. ±. 1.1. ng/L). Estrone concentrations were found to be highest in the WSP (7.8. ng/L. ±. 1.7) and lowest in the WWP (2.2. ng/L. ±. 2.4) with the RP intermediate (4.7. ±. 5.0). Fish serum estrogenicity assayed by E-SCREEN was significantly higher in female vs. male catfish in the RP and WSP but not in the WWP (p. ≤. 0.05). Histological examination of liver and gonad tissue showed no apparent signs of intersex or pathology in any ponds. The similarities in various measures of body indices between fish of this study and African catfish from freshwater systems suggest that aquaculture may be a suitable reuse option for treated municipal wastewater.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1182-1191
Number of pages	10
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	463-464
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032
State	Published - Oct 1 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Environmental Engineering
Environmental Chemistry
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032

Cite this

@article{3392e799c56341d1993181b6760ba2af,

title = "Serum estrogenicity and biological responses in African catfish raised in wastewater ponds in Ghana",

abstract = "Reuse of wastewater for aquaculture improves the efficient use of water and promotes sustainability but the potential effects of endocrine disrupting compounds including estrogens in wastewater are an emerging challenge that needs to be addressed. We examined the biological effects of wastewater-borne estrogens on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) raised in a wastewater stabilization pond (WSP) of a functioning municipal wastewater treatment plant, a wastewater polishing pond (WWP) of a dysfunctional treatment plant, and a reference pond (RP) unimpacted by wastewater, located in Ghana. Measurements of estrogen concentrations in pond water by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry showed that mean 17 β-estradiol concentrations were higher in the wastewater ponds (WWP, 6.6. ng/L. ±. 2.7. ng/L; WSP, 4.9. ng/L. ±. 1.0) than the reference (RP, 3.4. ±. 1.1. ng/L). Estrone concentrations were found to be highest in the WSP (7.8. ng/L. ±. 1.7) and lowest in the WWP (2.2. ng/L. ±. 2.4) with the RP intermediate (4.7. ±. 5.0). Fish serum estrogenicity assayed by E-SCREEN was significantly higher in female vs. male catfish in the RP and WSP but not in the WWP (p. ≤. 0.05). Histological examination of liver and gonad tissue showed no apparent signs of intersex or pathology in any ponds. The similarities in various measures of body indices between fish of this study and African catfish from freshwater systems suggest that aquaculture may be a suitable reuse option for treated municipal wastewater.",

author = "S. Asem-Hiablie and Church, {C. D.} and Elliott, {H. A.} and Shappell, {N. W.} and Schoenfuss, {H. L.} and P. Drechsel and Williams, {C. F.} and Knopf, {A. L.} and Dabie, {M. Y.}",

note = "Funding Information: This study has been supported by the U. S. Agency for International Development under the Norman Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (LEAP) Fellowship. We thank the following people for their assistance with sampling, laboratory assistance and other forms of logistical support: Dr. Elvis Nyarko, Mr. Emmanuel Klubi, Prof. Chris Gordon and staff of ECOLAB (University of Ghana, Legon); Mr. Selorme Adukpo and Mr. Alfred Dodoo (Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon); Dr Philip Amoah (International Water Management Institute) and Dr Bernard Keraita; Dr. Arthur Hattel and Ms. Roberta Horner (Animal Diagnostics Laboratory, Penn State University); Dr. Jacob Werner (Centralized Biological Laboratory, Penn State University) and Dr. Dennis McIntosh (Delaware State University). We are grateful to Drs. Ana Soto and Carlos Sonnenschein, Tufts University, Boston, MA for graciously providing the MCF-7 BOS cell line for the E-SCREEN assay. Dennis Helsel and Lee Lopaka provided the R NADA script to run descriptive statistics on our water samples for which we are sincerely grateful. Copyright: Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2013",

month = oct,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "463-464",

pages = "1182--1191",

journal = "Science of the Total Environment",

issn = "0048-9697",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Serum estrogenicity and biological responses in African catfish raised in wastewater ponds in Ghana

AU - Asem-Hiablie, S.

AU - Church, C. D.

AU - Elliott, H. A.

AU - Shappell, N. W.

AU - Schoenfuss, H. L.

AU - Drechsel, P.

AU - Williams, C. F.

AU - Knopf, A. L.

AU - Dabie, M. Y.

N1 - Funding Information: This study has been supported by the U. S. Agency for International Development under the Norman Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (LEAP) Fellowship. We thank the following people for their assistance with sampling, laboratory assistance and other forms of logistical support: Dr. Elvis Nyarko, Mr. Emmanuel Klubi, Prof. Chris Gordon and staff of ECOLAB (University of Ghana, Legon); Mr. Selorme Adukpo and Mr. Alfred Dodoo (Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Legon); Dr Philip Amoah (International Water Management Institute) and Dr Bernard Keraita; Dr. Arthur Hattel and Ms. Roberta Horner (Animal Diagnostics Laboratory, Penn State University); Dr. Jacob Werner (Centralized Biological Laboratory, Penn State University) and Dr. Dennis McIntosh (Delaware State University). We are grateful to Drs. Ana Soto and Carlos Sonnenschein, Tufts University, Boston, MA for graciously providing the MCF-7 BOS cell line for the E-SCREEN assay. Dennis Helsel and Lee Lopaka provided the R NADA script to run descriptive statistics on our water samples for which we are sincerely grateful. Copyright: Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/10/1

Y1 - 2013/10/1

N2 - Reuse of wastewater for aquaculture improves the efficient use of water and promotes sustainability but the potential effects of endocrine disrupting compounds including estrogens in wastewater are an emerging challenge that needs to be addressed. We examined the biological effects of wastewater-borne estrogens on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) raised in a wastewater stabilization pond (WSP) of a functioning municipal wastewater treatment plant, a wastewater polishing pond (WWP) of a dysfunctional treatment plant, and a reference pond (RP) unimpacted by wastewater, located in Ghana. Measurements of estrogen concentrations in pond water by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry showed that mean 17 β-estradiol concentrations were higher in the wastewater ponds (WWP, 6.6. ng/L. ±. 2.7. ng/L; WSP, 4.9. ng/L. ±. 1.0) than the reference (RP, 3.4. ±. 1.1. ng/L). Estrone concentrations were found to be highest in the WSP (7.8. ng/L. ±. 1.7) and lowest in the WWP (2.2. ng/L. ±. 2.4) with the RP intermediate (4.7. ±. 5.0). Fish serum estrogenicity assayed by E-SCREEN was significantly higher in female vs. male catfish in the RP and WSP but not in the WWP (p. ≤. 0.05). Histological examination of liver and gonad tissue showed no apparent signs of intersex or pathology in any ponds. The similarities in various measures of body indices between fish of this study and African catfish from freshwater systems suggest that aquaculture may be a suitable reuse option for treated municipal wastewater.

AB - Reuse of wastewater for aquaculture improves the efficient use of water and promotes sustainability but the potential effects of endocrine disrupting compounds including estrogens in wastewater are an emerging challenge that needs to be addressed. We examined the biological effects of wastewater-borne estrogens on African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) raised in a wastewater stabilization pond (WSP) of a functioning municipal wastewater treatment plant, a wastewater polishing pond (WWP) of a dysfunctional treatment plant, and a reference pond (RP) unimpacted by wastewater, located in Ghana. Measurements of estrogen concentrations in pond water by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry showed that mean 17 β-estradiol concentrations were higher in the wastewater ponds (WWP, 6.6. ng/L. ±. 2.7. ng/L; WSP, 4.9. ng/L. ±. 1.0) than the reference (RP, 3.4. ±. 1.1. ng/L). Estrone concentrations were found to be highest in the WSP (7.8. ng/L. ±. 1.7) and lowest in the WWP (2.2. ng/L. ±. 2.4) with the RP intermediate (4.7. ±. 5.0). Fish serum estrogenicity assayed by E-SCREEN was significantly higher in female vs. male catfish in the RP and WSP but not in the WWP (p. ≤. 0.05). Histological examination of liver and gonad tissue showed no apparent signs of intersex or pathology in any ponds. The similarities in various measures of body indices between fish of this study and African catfish from freshwater systems suggest that aquaculture may be a suitable reuse option for treated municipal wastewater.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883459298&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84883459298&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.032

M3 - Article

C2 - 23849063

AN - SCOPUS:84883459298

SN - 0048-9697

VL - 463-464

SP - 1182

EP - 1191

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

ER -

Serum estrogenicity and biological responses in African catfish raised in wastewater ponds in Ghana

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this