Screening for Endocrine Activity in Water Using Commercially-available In Vitro Transactivation Bioassays

Summary

A protocol to screen for endocrine activity in organic extracts of water samples, including treated wastewater effluent and surface (receiving) water, was adapted using commercially available division-arrested ("freeze and thaw") in vitro transactivation bioassays.

Abstract

In vitro transactivation bioassays have shown promise as water quality monitoring tools, however their adoption and widespread application has been hindered partly due to a lack of standardized methods and availability of robust, user-friendly technology. In this study, commercially available, division-arrested cell lines were employed to quantitatively screen for endocrine activity of chemicals present in water samples of interest to environmental quality professionals. A single, standardized protocol that included comprehensive quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) checks was developed for Estrogen and Glucocorticoid Receptor activity (ER and GR, respectively) using a cell-based Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) assay. Samples of treated municipal wastewater effluent and surface water from freshwater systems in California (USA), were extracted using solid phase extraction and analyzed for endocrine activity using the standardized protocol. Background and dose-response for endpoint-specific reference chemicals met QA/QC guidelines deemed necessary for reliable measurement. The bioassay screening response for surface water samples was largely not detectable. In contrast, effluent samples from secondary treatment plants had the highest measurable activity, with estimated bioassay equivalent concentrations (BEQs) up to 392 ng dexamethasone/L for GR and 17 ng 17β-estradiol/L for ER. The bioassay response for a tertiary effluent sample was lower than that measured for secondary effluents, indicating a lower residual of endocrine active chemicals after advanced treatment. This protocol showed that in vitro transactivation bioassays that utilize commercially available, division-arrested cell "kits", can be adapted to screen for endocrine activity in water.

Introduction

Current water quality monitoring is predicated on the ability to accurately and precisely measure the occurrence of chemical contaminants as a proxy for exposure to wildlife and humans. However, this chemical-by-chemical monitoring and assessment paradigm cannot keep pace with the ever-changing chemical universe that we face. As we learn more about the fate and effects of synthetic and natural chemicals, we continue to search for measurement tools that address expected biological impacts, and that at the same time are immune to changes in chemical production, usage and environmental input. Such tools are especially relevant for understanding whether unknown or new che....

Protocol

1. Collect and Process Water Sample (Modified from Escher et al.⁹)

1. Fill a clean 1 L amber glass bottle containing 1 g sodium azide and 50 mg ascorbic acid to the top with water sample of interest. Store sample at 4 °C and process within 72 hr.
   NOTE: Sodium azide is highly toxic and must be handled with caution. Use protective gear (eye/face, gloves, clothing) and weigh in a properly functioning fume-hood. Do not use a metal spatula for weighing.
2. Pass the sample through a 1.6 µM glass fiber filter and then through a preconditioned Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) cartridge at a flow rate of 5-10 ml/min. Adjust the pressure of ....

Results

In the present study, 4x 24 hr composite samples of treated municipal wastewater effluent, 6 grab samples of surface water from freshwater systems in southern California and a field blank consisting of ultrapure water were selected to illustrate this protocol. 3 of the 4 effluent samples were from conventional activated sludge wastewater treatment plants ("secondary effluent"), and the fourth one from an advanced wastewater treatment plant with sand/carbon filtration added post biological.......

Discussion

The well documented potency of environmental estrogens, such as 17β-estradiol (E2), warrants screening for these chemicals at ng/L concentrations^23,24. In this study, the ER response for wastewater effluents (BEQ range: 2.3 to 17 ng E2/L) was somewhat higher than reported for secondary effluent from Australian WWTPs²⁰, whereas the BEQs for surface water (<0.5 to 4 ng E2/L) were within the range reported for surface and stormwater elsewhere (<1 to 11 ng E2/L)¹⁶. Despite the lo.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
GeneBLAzer ER alpha DA assay kit	ThermoFisher	K1393	Kit includes ER division arrested (DA) cells and LiveBLAzer FRET loading kit.
GeneBLAzer GR DA assay kit	ThermoFisher	K1391	Kit includes GR division arrested (DA) cells and LiveBLAzer FRET loading kit.
PrestoBlue cell viability reagent	ThermoFisher	A-13261
Trypan blue, 0.4% in PBS	Sigma-Aldrich	T8154	Also available at ThermoFisher
Corning 96-well black wall, clear-bottom plate	Corning	3603	Individually wrapped, sterile with lid
Whatman glass fiber filters, GF/A, 1.6 µM	Sigma-Aldrich	WHA1820025
Microplate aluminum sealing film	E&K Scientific	T592100
Oasis HLB 6 cc cartridge, 200 mg sorbent	Waters	WAT106202
17β Estradiol	Sigma-Aldrich	E2758	CAS #50-28-2
Ascorbic acid	Fisher Scientific	A61-100	Also available at Sigma-Aldrich
Dexamethasone	Sigma-Aldrich	D4902	CAS #50-02-2
Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)	Sigma-Aldrich	D8418	Molecular grade
Solvents (acetone, hexane, methanol)	Fisher Scientific		HPLC grade
Sodium azide	Sigma-Aldrich	S2002	Chemical is highly toxic and must be handled with caution. Use protective clothing and weigh under a fume-hood. Also available at EMD Millipore.
Automated cell counter or hemocytometer	Various*		Suppliers include Bio-Rad, Fisher Scientific, Sigma-Aldrich and ThermoFisher.
Class II biological safety cabinet	Various*
CO2 incubator	Various*
Cryogenic freezer	Various*		Liquid nitrogen storage dewar is recommended.
Fluorescence microplate-reader	Various*		The reader must have bottom read capabilities.
* No recommended source, the choice of this equipment depends on budget, frequency of use, and lab space.