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The Mira River is a Portuguese water body widely known for its wilderness and is advertised as one of the less polluted European rivers. On this presumption, the levels of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in Mira waters were never measured. However, because environmentalists have claimed that the Mira could be moderately polluted, a range of 17 EDCs were measured not only at the estuary but also along the river. The targeted EDCs included natural and pharmaceutical oestrogens (17β-oestradiol, oestrone and 17α-ethynylestradiol), industrial/household pollutants (octylphenols, nonylphenols and their monoethoxylates and diethoxylates and bisphenol A), phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein) and the phytosterol sitosterol (SITO). For this propose, waters from six sampling sites were taken every 2 months, over a 1-year period (2011), and analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Unexpectedly high levels of oestrogens and of industrial/household pollutants were measured at all sampling sites, including those located inside natural protected areas. Indeed, the annual average sum of EDCs was ≈57 ng/L for oestrogens and ≈1.3 μg/L for industrial/household chemicals. In contrast, the global average levels of phytoestrogens (≈140 ng/L) and of SITO (≈295 ng/L) were lower than those reported worldwide. The EDC concentrations were normalised for ethynylestradiol equivalents (EE2eq). In view of these, the oestrogenic load of the Mira River attained ≈47 ng/L EE2eq. In addition, phosphates were above legal limits at both spring and summer (>1 mg/L). Overall, data show EDCs at toxicant relevant levels in the Mira and stress the need to monitor rivers that are allegedly less polluted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sado waters show signs of anthropogenic pollution. However, hardly any information exists on the levels of endocrine disrupters (EDCs) such as estrogens (17β-estradiol, estrone and 17α-ethynylestradiol) and there is no information at all on xenoestrogenic industrial pollutants (4-octylphenol, 4-nonylphenol and their mono and diethoxylates and bisphenol A). Moreover, data on plant derived phytoestrogens (formononetin, biochanin A, daidzein, genistein) and sitosterol are scarce or inexistent. To assess on the suspected influx of EDCs in this aquatic system, water samples were taken every two months, during 2010, at nine sites distributed along the Sado Estuary and River (Alcácer do Sal) being afterward analyzed by GC-MS. Data showed the ubiquitous presence of potentially hazardous amounts of estrogens (mainly of estrone and estradiol, reaching over 10 ng L−1), nonylphenol diethoxylate (up to 900 ng L−1) and nonylphenol (up to 230 ng L−1). It was concluded that there are conditions for the occurrence of endocrine disruption in local aquatic animals, even in areas included inside the Natural Reserve. Moreover, a clear seasonal pattern of fluctuation was found for phytoestrogens and sitosterol. Besides, there were high amounts of unionized ammonia (up to 0.6 mg L−1) and phosphates (up to 3.2 mg L−1) suggesting that the current status poses risks for local fauna and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]