Activities and identification of aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists in sediments from the Danube river

• This study is a consequence of a distinct fish decline in the Danube river since the beginning of the 1990s. In contrast to the decline of fish population, former studies have repeatedly documented that the water quality along the Danube river is improving. However, the conclusion of a pilot study in 2002 was that a high hazard potential is associated with local sediments. The present study documents that sediment samples from the Danube river showed comparatively high aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated activity in biotests, using the cell lines GPC.2D.Luc, H4IIE (DR-CALUX®) and RTL-W1. The combination of chemical analysis, fractionation techniques and different in vitro tests revealed that priority pollutants could not explain the main induction, even though the concentrations of priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were very high (maximum in the tributary Schwarzach, sum of 16 EPA PAHs 26 μg/g). In conclusion, this investigation shows that nonpriority pollutants mainly mediate the high induction rates. Nevertheless, owing to the effects of PAHs towards fish and the connection between dioxin-like activity and carcinogenicity, the link between contamination and the fish population decline cannot be ruled out.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Analytical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Animals

Benzofurans/analysis

Biological Assay/methods

Cell Line

Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/drug effects

Enzyme Induction/drug effects

Geologic Sediments/*chemistry

Germany

Guinea Pigs

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Polychlorinated Biphenyls/analysis

Polycyclic Hydrocarbons; Aromatic/*analysis

Rats

Receptors; Aryl Hydrocarbon/*agonists

Reproducibility of Results

Rivers

Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin/analysis

Water Pollutants; Chemical/*chemistry

NATURAL SCIENCES

NATURVETENSKAP

Analytical chemistry

Analytisk kemi

Analytical Chemistry

Analytisk kemi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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