Occurrence, distribution, and potential risk of 61 glucocorticoids in soils in Shandong Province, China.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) in the environment are of increasing concern due to the potent endocrine disrupting effects. However, most studies only explored their occurrences and behaviors in the aqueous phase, and few studies have investigated their concentrations and risks in soil. In this study, 61 natural and synthetic GCs were simultaneous analyzed, and their occurrences, spatial distribution and ecological risks in soil from 13 cities in Shandong Province, China were further discussed. Forty-three compounds were detected in the soil, with concentrations ranging from not detected (ND) to 40 ng/g dry weight. Natural metabolites, which are of less concern than synthetic compounds, were the dominant compounds and had higher concentrations (1.4-152 ng/g) and detection frequencies (>80 % for most compounds). Seventeen of the natural metabolites were found in soil for the first time. The concentrations and distribution of GCs exhibited significant correlations with the number of slaughtered sheep and goats, human population, oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and moisture content (MC) of the soil. Fluticasone propionate (FP), flumethasone (FM), triamcinolone acetonide (TLA), and budesonide (BD) were found to contribute most (57.4 %-99.9 %) to the total glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity. Risk evaluation results suggested that terrestrial organisms were exposed to low risks posed by the detected GCs in soil in Shandong Province.