Sterol ratios as a tool for sewage pollution assessment of river sediments in Serbia

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 213; pp. 76 - 83
• Main Authors: Matic Bujagic, Ivana, Grujic, Svetlana, Jaukovic, Zorica, Lausevic, Mila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Cholestanol - analysis; Cholestanols - analysis; Cholesterol - analysis; Chromatography, Liquid; Contamination; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Estradiol - analysis; Fecal; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Hormones; Humans; LC-MS; Mestranol - analysis; Rivers - chemistry; Sediments; Serbia; Sewage - analysis; Sterols; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; The Danube; Serbia; Serbia, Danube R; LC-MS; Sterols; Fecal; Hormones; Sediments; The Danube; Contamination
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.12.036

In this work, source pollution tracing of the sediments of the Danube River and its tributaries in Serbia was performed using sterol ratios. Improved liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, which enabled complete chromatographic separation of four analytes with identical fragmentation reactions (epicoprostanol, coprostanol, epicholestanol and cholestanol), was applied for the determination of steroid compounds (hormones, human/animal and plant sterols). A widespread occurrence of sterols was identified in all analyzed samples, whereas the only detected hormones were mestranol and 17α-estradiol. A human-sourced sewage marker coprostanol was detected at the highest concentration (up to 1939 ng g−1). The ratios between the key sterol biomarkers, as well as the percentage of coprostanol relative to the total sterol amount, were applied with the aim of selecting the most reliable for distinction between human-sourced pollution and the sterols originated from the natural sources in river sediments. The coprostanol/(cholesterol + cholestanol) and coprostanol/epicoprostanol ratios do not distinguish between human and natural sources of sterols in the river sediments in Serbia. The most reliable sterol ratios for the sewage pollution assessment of river sediments in the studied area were found to be coprostanol/(coprostanol + cholestanol), coprostanol/cholesterol and epicoprostanol/coprostanol. For the majority of sediments, human-derived pollution was determined. Two sediment samples were identified as influenced by a combination of human and natural biogenic sources. [Display omitted] •Improved LC–MS2 method was used for sterol and hormone determination in sediments.•Most reliable sterol ratios for sediments' sewage pollution assessment were chosen.•%Coprostanol and at least three ratios have to be used for source pollution tracing. Sterol ratios were critically assessed and the most reliable were chosen for evaluation of the sewage input into the river sediments.