Assessing wild fish exposure to ligands for sex steroid receptors from pulp and paper mill effluents in the Biobio River Basin, Central Chile

Abstract Bioactive substancesin the Biobio River Basin in Chile were examined by deploying Semi Permeable Membrane Devices ( SPMDs) upstream and downstream of 4 pulp milleffluent discharges. Androgenic and estrogenic activity of SPMDextracts were then evaluated using in vitro fish sex steroidreceptor binding assays. The results indicated the occurrence of estrogenic type compounds associated with one of the mill discharges. A significant correlation among the presence of these compounds, an increase in gonadosomatic indexGSI and induction of hepatic ERODactivity of two native fish species was observed. However, no significant presence of mature oocytes in female gonads was detected. Although ERODinduction was observed in sites impacted by mill effluents, an increase of its activity occurred towards the downstream areas, suggesting other non-mill sources. More research is needed to understand the environmental changes in context of the new technological improvements in treatment systems to MBBR ( Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) recently implemented by the pulp millindustries.