Pollution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of glucocorticoids in the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River Basin

Glucocorticoids, which are one of the most extensively used steroid hormones, are typical endocrine disruptors. In recent years, glucocorticoids have been widely detected in surface waters such as rivers and lakes, but there are relatively few studies focusing on their ecological risk assessment. In this study, the pollution characteristics of seven glucocorticoids were studied in the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River Basin, and ecological risk assessments were performed using the risk quotient method. The results showed that seven glucocorticoids were detected at different levels at eight sampling sites. Among these glucocorticoids, prednisone had the highest value of 238.27 ng/L in the wet season, with pollution levels significantly higher than those reported in other areas. The ecological risk evaluation showed that prednisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone acetate all had risk quotient values greater than 1 in the studied water environment, posing a high ecological risk. This study provides a scientific foundation for the in-depth study of the pollution characteristics and ecological risk of glucocorticoids in water bodies in the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River Basin.