Quantification of Estrogen Hormones in Ground and Surface Waters Sampled from Northern and Central Pennsylvania: Sinnemahoning Watershed- Cameron County, PA and the Living Filter- Centre County, PA.

The presence of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in groundwater and surface water has been linked to human and animal waste disposal methods including land application of manure, wastewater irrigation, leaking septic systems and direct stream discharge of wastewater effluent. Across Pennsylvania, these disposal methods are utilized in some capacity. This study was designed to evaluate the possible presence of estrogen hormones, one class of EDCs, in two different geographic locations in Pennsylvania: the Sinnemahoning watershed located in northern Pennsylvania and at the Penn State Living Filter wastewater irrigation site located in central Pennsylvania. If detected, the goal was to quantify and establish estrogen baseline data. Twenty sampling locations throughout the Sinnemahoning watershed were chosen, representing private water wells, public supply wells and surface waters. Fourteen groundwater well locations were sampled at the Living Filter. Triplicate 1-L samples were taken at each location and were analyzed for two natural estrogens (17β-estradiol and estrone) and one synthetic estrogen (17α-ethynylestradiol). A ¹³C internal standard was added to each sample immediately after collection and was used to track the recovery of the estrogens during processing and analysis. Accounting for both sites, overall estrogen concentrations ranged from below instrument detection limits (BDL) to 37 ng L^-1.