Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates and Intermediate Products from their Degradation are not Estrogenic

A number of natural and man-made chemicals possess estrogenic activity, i.e., they induce receptor-mediated estrogen dependent responses in vertebrates. Recently, high concentrations of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) and intermediate products of LAS biodegradation, sulfophenyl carboxylates (SPC), have been found in the Bay of Cádiz, Spain. Due to their similar chemical properties with the estrogenic alkylphenolpolyethoxylates (APnEO) it has been speculated that LAS and their metabolites have estrogenic effects. The present work addresses the question upon the possible estrogenicity of LAS and LAS metabolites by two in vitro assays: the yeast estrogen receptor assay and the vitellogenin assay with cultured trout hepatocytes. With both bioassays no estrogenic effects were observed for any of the compounds tested.