Toxicity of saline and organic solvent extracts of sediments from Boston Harbor, Massachusetts and the Hudson River-Raritan Bay Estuary, New York using the Microtox® bioassay

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 1993-09, Vol.25 (3), p.377-386
• Main Authors: DEMUTH, S, CASILLAS, E, WOLFE, D. A, MCCAIN, B. B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Techniques
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00210730

Sediment samples, obtained from 16 sites in Boston harbour and 17 sites in the Hudson river-Raritan bay estuary, were extracted with either organic solvent or 2 per cent sodium chloride solution and the extracts tested using the Microtox bioassay. Chlorinated pesticides, PAH and PCB were measured in the sediments by high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. All the 33 sediment samples showed some toxicity when extracted by organic solvent, an EC50 being readily obtained, but only 7 saline extracts responded significantly in the recommended test. When the criterion was changed to reduction of more than 10 per cent in bioluminescence, 16 saline extracts gave a positive response. Pre-extraction with saline solution reduced the subsequent organic solvent extract's toxicity. The EC50 tended to fall as the benzo(a)pyrene equivalents in the sediments rose, but Boston harbour sediments were more toxic than those in the Hudson river-Raritan bay estuary despite similar PAH concentrations.