A Female Reproductive System-on-a-chip to Identify Reproductive Toxicants

Abstract

Rivers play a vital role in supporting diverse ecosystems and meeting various crucial human needs. There is a growing concern about various organic contaminants in the rivers, including dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phthalates. Many of these contaminants are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), posing potential risks to the reproductive health of both humans and wildlife animals.

The current study aims to develop a female reproductive tissue-on-chip, 3D in vitro microtissue culture, and other approaches to investigate the female reproductive effects of organic pollutants in major river waters in New Jersey (NJ). A total of eight surface water samples were collected from six sites in three NJ rivers, including the Delaware River (three sites, duplicates in one site), Passaic River (two sites, duplicates in one site), and Raritan River (one site). Organic pollutants were extracted using the solid-phase extraction approach, with double-distilled lab water as the control. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was used to quantify 72 EDCs. The river water organic extract from the site of Elmwood Park of the Passaic River (PREP) had the highest concentrations of all measured EDCs, including alkylphenols, PFAS, phthalates, and pharmaceuticals.