SPMDs accumulate fish MFO inducers from pulp mills and oil refineries
- Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario (Canada). National Water Research Inst.
- National Biological Service, Columbia, MO (United States)
Semipermeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs) deployed for 14 d in waters of the Athabasca River and in effluents from four pulp mills and one oil refinery accumulated chemicals that induced mixed-function oxygenase (MFO) in a fish cell line. To express the potency of SPMD extracts, dose-response curves for EROD induction in coils exposed to SPMD-extracts were compared to dose-response curves for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Extracts of SPMDs from pulp mills were two to five times as potent as extracts of SPMDs exposed to background river water. SPMD extracts from three pulp mill effluents had 62.0, 53.5, and 29.7 pg TCDD-EQ/g, significantly more than in Athabasca River water (12.6 pg TCDD-EQ/g = background). SPMDs exposed to effluent from a fourth mill had potencies within the 95% confidence interval of background. The concentrations of MFO inducers in SPMDs exposed to river water increased downstream of Fort McMurray (58.5 to 728 pg TCDD-EQ/g) and SPMDs deployed in effluent from the oil refinery accumulated the most MFO-inducing chemicals (16,800 pg TCDD-EQ/g). SPMD accumulation was highly variable, which suggested an unknown source of inducers, possibly an effluent from the town or input from natural erosion of the tar sands. Although this study was preliminary, the results suggest the four pulp mill effluents contribute small quantities of MFO inducers to the Athabasca River. By contrast, very high quantities of MFO inducers were discharged by oil refinery effluent.
- OSTI ID:
- 398252
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: 96:030000
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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