Toxic effects of pollutants on the mineralization of 4-chlorophenol and benzoate in methanogenic river sediment

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620130706· OSTI ID:7163088

Beelen, P van ^[1]; Vlaardingen, P van ^[2]

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1. National Inst. of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven (Netherlands)
2. Univ. of Amsterdam (Netherlands). Dept. of Fundamental and Applied Ecology

The toxic effects of pollutants on the mineralization of 2 [mu]g/L [U-[sup 14]C]-4-chlorophenol and benzoate were studied in microcosms with methanogenic sediment from a little harbor in the Rhine River. In contrast with studies using a high substrate concentration, no lag time was observed and the half-lives for 4-chlorophenol and benzoate were 1.6 and 0.55 h, respectively. The effect of increasing additions of benzene, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, pentachlorophenol, and zinc on each mineralization reaction was measured. Toxicity data were fitted with a logistic dose-effect curve. The IC10 is defined as the concentration of a toxicant inhibiting the mineralization rate for 10%. The IC10 concentrations of benzene, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, pentachlorophenol, and zinc on the benzoate mineralization were 150, 0.04, 71, 6, and 842 mg/kg sediment dry weight, respectively. This latter value includes the background concentration of 800 mg Zn/kg sediment. Their mineralization of 4-chlorophenol and benzoate showed similarities in the sensitivity to these toxicants. 4-Chlorophenol can be degraded via benzoate, which might explain the similarities in sensitivity of both mineralization reactions. Chloroform proved to be extremely toxic to anaerobic mineralization reactions, which might be attributed to the formation of very toxic and reactive intermediates formed during the slow anaerobic degradation of the chloroform in anaerobic sediments. Sediment quality criteria derived solely from standard toxicity tests using aerobic organisms may lead to complete inhibition of several important microbial processes in anaerobic sediments.

• OSTI ID: 7163088
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:7; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BENZENE
METABOLISM
TOXICITY
BENZOIC ACID
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
RHINE RIVER
WATER POLLUTION
SEDIMENTS
CONTAMINATION
ZINC
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
AROMATICS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ELEMENTS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METALS
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology