Elucidation of contamination with environmental retinoids in the aquatic environment and identification of causative compounds

环境类维甲酸可以表现出RAR的拮抗活性，从而对多种脊椎动物产生不良影响。为了弄清日本水生环境中环境类维生素a的污染及其可能的生态风险，本研究调查了日本水生环境中环境类维生素a的污染现状，并鉴定了致病性化合物。本研究结果表明，环境类维甲酸污染在水生环境中普遍存在，城市污水中的主要致病化合物是维甲酸及其氧化代谢物。此外，研究表明，目前的环境类维生素a污染水平似乎还不足以对野生动物产生rar介导的有害影响。

Environmental retinoids can exhibit the RAR agonistic activity and consequently cause adverse effect on various vertebrates. To clarify the contamination with environmental retinoids in the aquatic environment in Japan and its possible ecological risks, this study investigated the current status of the contamination and identified the causative compounds. Results of this study revealed that the contamination with environmental retinoids occurs commonly in aquatic environments, and that major causative compounds in municipal wastewater are retinoic acids and their oxidative metabolites. Furthermore, it was suggested that the current level of environmental retinoids contamination do not appear to be high enough to exert RAR-mediated deleterious effects on wild animals.