Concentrations of 56 potential endocrine disrupting chemicals in 56 European wastewater treatment plant effluents by LC-HRMS adn LC-MS/MS analysis

79 potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were investigated in 56 effluent samples from 52 European wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The samples were collected between August 2017 and April 2019, using on-site large volume solid phase extraction (LVSPE) (Schulze et al., 2017). Chemical target analysis by liquid chromatography high-resolution and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS and LC-MS/MS, respectively) resulted in 56 detected compounds. Different capacities and conventional treatment technologies, as well as two advanced treatment technologies are included. One sample was taken at a WWTP with activated carbon treatment. Three WWTPs applying ozonation were sampled before and after this treatment step, providing two samples each. One of these WWTPs had already been sampled before the upgrade, resulting in a total of 56 (52+4) samples. More information can be found in Finckh et al. (2022). The two main objectives of this study were (i) to compare three different receptor-based estrogenicity assays (ERα-GeneBLAzer, p-YES, ERα-CALUX®), and (ii) to investigate a combined approach of chemical target analysis and receptor-based testing for estrogenicity, glucocorticogenic activity, androgenicity and progestagenic activity (ERα-, GR-, AR- and PR-GeneBLAzer assays, respectively) in treated wastewater.