Sediment acute toxicity testing utilizing short-term bioassays
The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of two new bioassays for acute toxicity assessments of sediments. A bacterial bioassay based on inhibition of alpha-glucosidase biosynthesis in Bacillus licheniformis and a 48-hour lethality bioassay employing the benthic cladoceran, Chydorus sphaericus. were evaluated by direct comparisons with standard bioassays, using sediment samples collected from various sites in Florida. This study showed that the bioassay based on inhibition of alpha-glucosidase biosynthesis in Bacillus licheniformis was useful in the acute toxicity screening of sediment elutriates. In regards to Escambia County, Florida samples, the assay was comparable with the Microtox assay and was especially sensitive for samples containing metals. To determine an appropriate procedure for assessing hydrophobic contaminants of sediments in the B. licheniformis bioassay, two extracting procedures were compared. Based on the responses in the Microtox bioassay, shaking sediment samples in methylene chloride produced extracts that were significantly higher in toxicity than extracts obtained by sonication for eight of the ten sediment samples tested. Comparisons of methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as exchange solvents revealed that there was generally no significant difference between these solvents in terms of toxicity in the Microtox assay. Solvent extracts prepared by shaking and exchanged into methanol showed lower toxicity in the B. licheniformis bioassay than in the Microtox assay. Observed sediment toxicity in both bioassays was expressed in terms of the equivalent dry weight concentration of sediment causing 50% inhibition of the assay organism.
- Research Organization:
- Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 5489920
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BACTERIA
SENSITIVITY
FLORIDA
WATER POLLUTION
METALS
TOXICITY
SEDIMENTS
CONTAMINATION
BIOASSAY
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
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MICROORGANISMS
NORTH AMERICA
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540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology