Therapeutic Levels of Levonorgestrel Detected in Blood Plasma of Fish: Results from Screening Rainbow Trout Exposed to Treated Sewage Effluents.
A study, just published online in Environmental Science and Technology by the MistraPharma scientist in Umeå and Gothenburg, shows that fish exposed to treated effluent from Swedish sewage treatment plants bioconcentrate a range of pharmaceuticals into their blood. One of these drugs are levonorgestrel, a synthetic progestin in many contraceptives. Leveonorgestrel bioconcetrates into the blood of fish to levels that exceed the blood levels of women taking the pill. The concetrations of levonorgestrel found in the treated effluent at one of the three investigated treatment plants (1ng/L) is sufficient to reduce egg production in fish, as shown by a recent German study. Together these results show that there are environmental risks associated not only with estrogen in contraceptives, but also the progestin component. The new data also add confidence to the MistraPharma approach of using blood plasma levels in fish to assist the prioritization of pharmaceuticals for in depth studies on effects as well as ways to reduce their concentrations in sewage effluents.
For more information please contact:
Assistant Professor, Dr Jerker Fick (jerker.fick@chem.umu.se)
Associate Professor, Dr Joakim Larsson (joakim.larsson@fysiologi.gu.se)
Published article:
Jerker Fick, Richard H Lindberg, Jari Parkkonen, Börn Arvidsson and DG Joakim Larsson. 2010. Therapeutic Levels of Levonorgestrel Detected in Blood Plasma of Fish: Results from Screening Rainbow Trout Exposed to Treated Sewage Effluents. Environmental Science and Technology.
E-publication ahead of print. DOI: 10.1021/es903440m
