Screening of estrogen-like activity of mineral water stored in PET bottles

Bottled mineral water consumption is steadily rising in the World. Italy is the largest natural mineral water consumer in Western Europe, about 200 L per capita per annum. Recently, research has concentrated upon emerging toxicological problems such as the presence in drinking water of substances which interfere with the function of the endocrine system; defined as endocrine disruptors (EDs). The aim of this study was to assess the risk of exposure of the population to chemicals with estrogen-like activity through mineral water consumption by monitoring the presence of estrogenic compounds in mineral water bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A solid phase extraction (SPE) with C18 cartridges was carried out. The estrogenic activity of the extracts was assayed using a yeast assay expressing the human estrogen receptor α (hERα). This preliminary study shows that more than 90% of the water samples did not exhibit any appreciable estrogenic activity. The highest estrogenic activity detected in water extracts was equivalent to the activity induced by 23.1 ng/L of the natural hormone 17β-estradiol. Some mineral water samples showed toxicity on yeast cells.