Exposure to β‐sitosterol alters the endocrine status of goldfish differently than 17β‐estradiol

Abstract Wild fish exposed to bleached kraft-mill effluent (BKM) have a variety of reproductive dysfunctions. BKM contains β-sitosterol, a presumed phytoestrogen. In this study, goldfish were exposed for 12 d to concentrations of β-sitosterol typical of BKME (75, 300, 600, and 1,200 μg/L) and to 17β-estradiol (E2) (75 and 300 μg/L) for comparative purposes. In general, plasma reproductive steroid levels in males and females were decreased by …