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Bioaccumulation of 17β-estradiol in Freshwater Gastropod Sulcospira testudinaria under increasing Anthropogenic Pressure in the Brantas River, Indonesia

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors
Qonitah Imaniyar Fitroya
Yenny Risjani
Asus Maizar Suryanto Hertika
Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Brawijaya University, Jl. Veteran, Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia
10.22059/poll.2026.410621.3283
Abstract
The presence of endocrine-disrupting compounds in freshwater ecosystems has raised increasing concern due to their potential ecological impacts, particularly in rivers exposed to growing anthropogenic pressure. This study investigated the occurrence and bioaccumulation of 17β-estradiol (E2) in river water and in the freshwater gastropod Sulcospira testudinaria collected from ten sampling stations along the Brantas River, Indonesia. Water and tissue samples were obtained during the dry season to minimise hydrological variability and improve spatial comparability among stations. E2 was detected in river water at all stations at nanogram-per-litre levels, while concentrations in S. testudinaria tissues were substantially higher, reaching up to 470 ng g⁻¹ wet weight, with elevated values generally observed in middle and downstream sections. Positive relationships were observed between E2 concentrations in water and gastropod tissues, indicating spatially dependent bioaccumulation along the river continuum. The results indicate that anthropogenic activities contribute to estrogenic contamination in the Brantas River system. The observed patterns, together with environmental conditions influenced by organic and nutrient loading, suggest enhanced persistence and bioavailability of E2 in impacted areas. S. testudinaria shows potential as a benthic indicator organism for reflecting estrogenic contamination in tropical freshwater environments, although its applicability should be interpreted within the context of site-specific environmental variability.
Keywords
Estradiol
Gastropods
Bioaccumulation
Estrogenic compounds
Freshwater ecosystem
Subjects
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Pollution
Volume 12, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 886-897