ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Combinatorial bio/chemical approach was applied to investigate dioxin-like contamination of soil and sediment at the petrochemical and organochlorine plant in Pancevo, Serbia, after the destruction of manufacturing facilities that occurred in the spring of 1999 and subsequent remediation actions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Soil samples were analyzed for indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by gas chromatography/electron capture detection (GC/ECD). Prioritized soil sample and sediment samples from the waste water channel were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Microethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (Micro-EROD) and H4IIE-luciferase bioassays were used for monitoring of dioxin-like compounds (DLC) and for better characterization of dioxin-like activity of soil samples. RESULTS: Bioanalytical results indicated high dioxin-like activity in one localized soil sample, while the chemical analysis confirmed the presence of large quantities of DLC: 3.0 × 10(5) ng/g d.w. of seven-key PCBs, 8.2 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs, and 3.0 × 10(5) ng/g d.w. of planar and mono-ortho PCBs. In the sediment, contaminant concentrations were in the range 2-8 ng/g d.w. of PCDD/Fs and 9-20 ng/g d.w. of PCBs. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the utility of combined application of bioassays and instrumental analysis, especially for developing and transition country which do not have capacity of the expensive instrumental analysis. The results indicate the high contamination of soil in the area of petrochemical plant, and PCDD/Fs contamination of the sediment from the waste water channel originating from the ethylene dichloride production.
Subject(s)
Dioxins/analysis , Geologic Sediments/chemistry , Soil Pollutants/analysis , Benzofurans/analysis , Benzofurans/chemistry , Chemical Industry , Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1/analysis , Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated , Dioxins/chemistry , Environmental Monitoring , Environmental Pollution/statistics & numerical data , Polychlorinated Biphenyls/analysis , Polychlorinated Biphenyls/chemistry , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/analogs & derivatives , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/analysis , Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins/chemistry , Serbia , Soil/chemistry , Soil Pollutants/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistryABSTRACT
In this study level of soil contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two oil refineries in Vojvodina region of Serbia was assessed using combined bio/chemical approach. Toxicity of the samples, determined by microEROD analysis, could not be exclusively attributed to the content of measured PCBs and PAHs, but also to the presence of unknown dioxin-like compounds (DLC), and/or positive interactions among similarly acting chemicals. The results proved that biotests, when applied in ecotoxicological assessments, should be used either as a screening tool or initial step in effect-directed analyses.
