Etonogestrel

Detailed information

Pharmaceuticals residues in the aquatic environment in Sweden

Etonogestrel has been tested but has been below the quantification limit (LOQ). Etonogestrel is the active metabolite of desogestrel.

Report Goodpoint 2024

In general, all progestogens occur in very low or undetectable concentrations in environments affected by municipal wastewater. Based on sales, the PEC is below 3 ng/L for all studied progestogens except for progesterone, medroxyprogesterone and drospirenone, but credible international measurements show that these three progestogens are also detected in concentrations around 1 ng/L in treated wastewater. At the same time, some progestogens are exceptionally potent with effects observed at exposures below 1 ng/L. However, only progestogens that bind strongly to the androgen receptor appear to be so potent in fish. Of the progestogens recommended in the Wise list (the formulary in Region Stockholm, Sweden), levonorgestrel, norethisterone, desogestrel and etonogestrel meet these criteria, while the other progestogens are considered to be less environmentally hazardous given the current state of knowledge. It is difficult, based on existing data, to stratify with certainty which of the androgenic progestogens are the most or least environmentally hazardous, even though norethisterone and levonorgestrel are somewhat better studied than desogestrel and etonogestrel. It is possible to point out norethisterone (and lynestrenol, which is not covered in this report) as being a little more environmentally hazardous as they also contribute to the levels of EE2 (ethinylestradiol) in the environment through metabolism. See also the report, which lists various recommended alternatives in the Wise list, from best to worst from an environmental point of view.