Abstract
Estrogens and anti-inflammatories can pose adverse effects on human health and wildlife. This paper investigated four estrogens
(estrone, E1; 17β-estradiol, E2; estriol, E3; 17α-ethynylestradiol, EE2) and three anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, ketoprofen and
naproxen) by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in Baiyangdian
Lake during the dry (April) and wet seasons (September). These compounds were mostly detected at low levels (ng/L). The
occurrence and spatial distribution of these compounds varied noticeably with the sampling seasons, particularly antiinflammatories
which were present in levels 1–2 orders of magnitude larger in the wet season than in the dry season. The
concentrations of these compounds at sampling points S1, S4 and S9 (adjacent to the Fu River), S2 and S8 (affected by human
activities) and S3 (receiving the input of more upstream pollutants) were higher than at other sampling points. The overall aquatic
environment of Baiyangdian Lake was not at the “high risk” level, but at sites S1, S2 and S3 they were at the “medium risk” level
mainly due to the mixture effect of estrogens. At site S2 the hazard quotient (HQ) reached a maximum value of 0.903. This HQ
of almost 1 indicates that these estrogens pose a potential environmental risk of induced feminization of male aquatic organisms
in Baiyangdian Lake.