1. Assessment of endocrine disruptor effects of levonorgestrel and its photoproducts: Environmental implications of released fractions after their photocatalytic removal
- Author
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Hannah Grant, Jhon Fredy Narvaez, Ramiro Ríos Sossa, Julio Bueno Sánchez, Vanessa Correa Gil, Jazmín Porras, Juan Carlos Quintana-Castillo, and Luz Fanny Ocampo Duque
- Subjects
endocrine system ,Environmental Engineering ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,Levonorgestrel ,010501 environmental sciences ,Endocrine Disruptors ,01 natural sciences ,Catalysis ,Human chorionic gonadotropin ,Cell Line ,Excretion ,Pregnancy ,medicine ,Environmental Chemistry ,Humans ,Waste Management and Disposal ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,021110 strategic, defence & security studies ,Chemistry ,Photochemical Processes ,Pollution ,Endocrine disruptor ,Wastewater ,Environmental chemistry ,Toxicity ,Female ,Reproductive toxicity ,Water Pollutants, Chemical ,medicine.drug ,Hormone - Abstract
The presence of levonorgestrel (LNG) in water bodies via direct discharge and human excretion has been reported worldwide, but its effects on the reproduction of aquatic species and humans are still unknown. Owing to its recalcitrant properties, LNG is not completely removed during wastewater treatment plants, and many species may be exposed to low traces of this compound from discharged effluents. Thus, in this study, a photocatalytic process for removing LNG along with screening of endocrine disruptor effects for risk assessment was applied. Although the removal rate of LNG by ultraviolet C (UV-C) radiation was >90%, reproductive toxicity testing using the BeWo cell line exposed to LNG and its degraded fraction showed the reduced production of basal human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (β-hCG) by more than 73%, from 8.90 mIU mL-1 to
- Published
- 2018