The chemical and biogenotoxic characterization of organic xenobiotics in aquatic sediment materials 1. The application and comparison of chemically non-specific and biogenotoxic methods.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the Ames assay and mixed function oxidase (MFO)-Induct Test used in parallel with chemical group tests (ECD fingerprint and PAH estimation) for the characterization of the organic pollution of water sediment materials. Sediment materials were collected from "clean" and relatively heavily polluted locations in the Middle Adriatic Sea, and from some locations in continental Croatia polluted with wastewaters from different enterprises. Characterization of the organic extracts of the sediment materials investigated was performed chemically using UV spectrofluorometry for the determination polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and gas chromatography for the determination of volatile EC detector sensitive materials. Genotoxic analysis of the extracts was performed using the MFO-Induct Test and mutagenicity testing using the Standard Plate Incorporation Test as described by Maron and Ames with Salmonella typhimurium TA 98. Measurement of the BaPMO enzyme activity in the livers of carp treated i.p. with total extracts of the sediment investigated confirmed that the methanol extracts generally contained more inducing matter than the petroleum ether extracts. Ames assay showed that for all the samples following the elimination of the sulfur, there was an increase in the number of revertants in comparison to the control number, which indicates that the samples contained mutagenic substances. The larger doses of extracts generally demonstrated cytotoxicity, as evidenced by a reduced number of spontaneous revertants in the SalmonellalMicrosome Test. Investigation of the correlation of the chemical parameters with the biological parameter showed that the induction of BaPMO exhibited a statistically significant correlation with the level of the ECD fingerprint of the petroleum ether sediment extract.

Levels and long-term trends of polychlorinated biphenyls and DDTs in mussels collected from the middle adriatic coastal waters.

It is well documented that synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbon residues are widespread through the oceanic ecosystem. The Adriatic Sea, as semienclosed body of water, is of special interest for an evaluation of the entry, extent and fate of the pollution by chlorinated hydrocarbons. An investigation of chlorinated hydrocarbons levels in mussels in the middle Adriatic coastal waters, Croatia was performed. Samples were collected between 1974 and 1990 at several stations located in the middle Adriatic coastal waters. It is very important to stress that all these samples were analyzed from a single analytical group (mostly by the same analyst), using a uniform methodology which was very successfully by intercalibrated during seven international intercalibration exercises. Mass fractions of chlorinated insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in mussels ranged from ND (< 0.1) to 121.3 for DDTs and from ND (< 0.5) to 478.2.10(9) wet weight for PCBs and from 21 to 18500 for DDTs and from 32 to 47200.10(9) for PCBs on extracted organic matter basis. Total DDT and PCB mass fractions do not exhibit Gaussian distribution in the investigated area and collecting period. This signifies that median and geometric means better indicate the central tendency of the investigated chlorinated hydrocarbon mass fractions than the arithmetic mean. Transforming the data to log values has the advantage of further normalizing the data, a prerequisite for the use of parametric statistics. The trend of DDTs levels is more similar to an exponential function than a linear one, so the linearization of the mass fractions data is achieved by transforming the data logarithmically.

Chlorinated insecticides and PCBs in Asteroidea and Holothuroidea species from Rijeka Bay, Yugoslavia.

For an evaluation of the extent of pollution in Rijeka Bay, Yugoslavia by chlorinated hydrocarbons an investigation of levels in sediments and the most abundant benthic organisms (Asteroidea and Holothuroidea species) has been carried out. Samples were collected at several stations in October 1981. The concentrations of chlorinated insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Asteroidea species were from 0.5 to 46.0 micrograms kg-1 for DDTtotal, and from 2.5 to 435 micrograms kg-1 (wet weight) for PCBs. For the PCBs in Holothuroidea species the values ranged from 4.4 to 37.2 micrograms kg-1 and for DDTtotal from 0.9 to 48.5 micrograms kg-1. The contamination of Asteroidea and Holothuroidea samples from Rijeka Bay with persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons was compared with other data for the same species from other parts of the world. Accumulation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by Asteroidea and Holothuroidea species from sediments of Rijeka Bay is discussed with respect to concentration factors (CF). The highest CF (70.0) (dry biota/dry sediment) was obtained for the intestines of Asteroidea species for PCBs and a value of only 2.6 was obtained for DDTtotal for the skin and muscle of Holothuroidea species. The relatively low bioaccumulation of PCBs and DDTs from sediments in the Rijeka Bay by the Asteroidea and Holothuroidea species is reassuring, because of the problem of dredging and ocean dumping of sediments polluted with persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Chlorinated insecticide and PCB residues in fish and mussels of east coastal waters of the middle and north Adriatic Sea, 1974--75.

Concentrations of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and goby fish (Gibius sp.) collected in four areas located in eastern coastal waters of the middle and north Adriatic Sea. Most samples were collected in early spring and late summer of 1974 and 1975. The compounds p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-TDE, and PCBs were detected most frequently. In about 60 percent of the samples dieldrin was also detected. Average wet-weight concentrations of sigmaDDT and PCBs in mussels from the four areas sampled were: Istrian coast, 65 and 76 ppb; Rijeka Bay, 58 and 75 ppb; Zadar, 36 and 128 ppb; Losinj Island, 167 and 133 ppb. Average concentrations in fish samples were: Istrian coast, 124 and 144 ppb; Rijeka Bay, 37 and 82 ppb; Losinj Island, 166 and 157 ppb. Dieldrin concentrations were in the low ppb range. Although major Italian rivers discharge chlorinated hydrocarbons into the north Adriatic, sampling of biota from Istrian coastal waters indicates no significant effect on the pollution level. However, waste waters from small coastal settlements evidently do contribute significantly to chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of that ocean. Marine samples from Losinj Island had high chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations, indicating uptake of pollutants from the north Adriatic.