Combination of passive sampling and in vitro bioassays for assessment of river ecosystem contamination by endocrine disruptive compounds
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Abstract Book - SETAC Europe 19th Annual Meeting |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Water pollution and control |
| Keywords | passive sampling; in vitro bioassays; (anti)estrogenicity; (anti)androgenicity |
| Description | Passive sampling of water using semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) offers an attractive alternative to traditional sampling methods and allows the detection of ultra-trace, yet toxicologically relevant, concentrations of contaminants in environmental mixtures. Organic extracts from passive samplers can be combined with a variety of bioassay procedures to assess both the level and the biological potential of water contaminants. The aim of two year study was the complex assessment of the river ecosystem contamination, especially by compounds with specific modes of action, and its seasonal and spatial variability. Contamination with ED-active compounds has been assessed in the area of city agglomeration spread in the basin of two rivers in the Czech Republic with 400,000 inhabitants, variety of industrial activities and large wastewater treatment plant. Contamination of aquatic environment has been monitored in four sampling campaigns representing spring and autumn seasons with different water flows. Organic extracts of sediments and two types of passive samplers (SPMD for hydrophobic contaminants and POCIS for polar pesticides and pharmaceuticals) have been tested in battery of in vitro bioassays with recombinant yeast and mammalian cell systems. Biotests showed dioxin-like, (anti)estrogenic and (anti)androgenic potency and in some cases high cytotoxicity of waste water from wastewater treatment plant, surface river water and sediments. Bioassay assessment provided important information since it can integrate the endocrine disruptive potency of the present pollutants taking into account also their interactions in the complex mixture. The project has been supported by the MSMT 2B06093 and ENVISCREEN 2B08036. |
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