Passive and composite sampling in combination with in vitro bioassays and identification and quantification of individual chemicals were applied to characterize pollution by compounds with several specific modes of action in urban area in the basin of two rivers, with 400,000 inhabitants and a variety of industrial activities. Two types of passive samplers, semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) for hydrophobic contaminants and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) for polar compounds such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals, were used to sample wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influent and effluent as well as rivers upstream and downstream of the urban complex and the WWTP. Compounds with endocrine disruptive potency were detected in river water and WWTP influent and effluent. Year-round, monthly assessment of waste waters by bioassays documented estrogenic, androgenic and dioxin-like potency as well as cytotoxicity in influent waters of the WWTP and allowed characterization of seasonal variability of these biological potentials in waste waters. The WWTP effectively removed cytotoxic compounds, xenoestrogens and xenoandrogens. There was significant variability in treatment efficiency of dioxin-like potency. The study indicates that the WWTP, despite its up-to-date technology, can contribute endocrine disrupting compounds to the river. Riverine samples exhibited dioxin-like, antiestrogenic and antiandrogenic potencies. The study design enabled characterization of effects of the urban complex and the WWTP on the river. Concentrations of PAHs and contaminants and specific biological potencies sampled by POCIS decreased as a function of distance from the city.
Passive sampling of water using semipermeable membrane devices
(SPMD) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS)
offers an attractive alternative to traditional sampling
methods and allows the detection of ultra-trace, yet
toxicologically relevant, concentrations of contaminants in
environmental mixtures. Organic extracts from passive samplers
can be combined with a variety of bioassay procedures to assess
both the level and the biological potential of water
contaminants. The aim of two year study was the complex
assessment of the river ecosystem contamination, especially by
compounds with specific modes of action, and its seasonal and
spatial variability. Contamination with ED-active compounds has
been assessed in the area of city agglomeration spread in the
basin of two rivers in the Czech Republic with 400,000
inhabitants, variety of industrial activities and large
wastewater treatment plant. Contamination of aquatic
environment has been monitored in four sampling campaigns
representing spring and autumn seasons with different water
flows. Organic extracts of sediments and two types of passive
samplers (SPMD for hydrophobic contaminants and POCIS for polar
pesticides and pharmaceuticals) have been tested in battery of
in vitro bioassays with recombinant yeast and mammalian cell
systems. Biotests showed dioxin-like, (anti)estrogenic and
(anti)androgenic potency and in some cases high cytotoxicity of
waste water from wastewater treatment plant, surface river
water and sediments. Bioassay assessment provided important
information since it can integrate the endocrine disruptive
potency of the present pollutants taking into account also
their interactions in the complex mixture. The project has been
supported by the MSMT 2B06093 and ENVISCREEN 2B08036.
River ecosystems represent dynamic system, where contamination
of river compartments exerts significant variability in space
and time. Chemical compounds occur in the environment as
complex mixtures that can act through specific modes of action
in organisms. Suitable tools for assessing specific biological
activities in environmental samples represent screening
bioassays. The present research focuses on contamination of a
model river ecosystem in south-eastern part of Czech Republic.
Aim of our one-year long study was to characterize temporal and
spatial variability of contamination and toxicity of complex
mixtures (sediments and water samples) collected from five
sampling sites.This research was supported by the Czech
Ministry of Education projects ENVISCREEN - NPVII 2B08036 and
INCHEMBIOL 0021622412.
In numerous studies the contamination of river sediments has
been assessed both by chemical analysis and especially by
bioassays from single time sampling reflecting just the actual
situation. Two year study has been conducted to reveal the
spatial and temporal-seasonal variability in the concentrations
of commonly studied contaminants, but namely of the chemicals
with specific modes of action in river sediments. Along with
analysis of known pollutants we have assessed the overall
potencies of the sediment extracts for cytotoxicity,
dioxin-like, (anti)estrogenic and (anti)androgenic potency.
Battery of in vitro bioassays with recombinant yeast and human
cell systems was used to evaluate the extracts of sediments
from four consequent sampling representing two different
seasons. These bioassays show an integrative measure and
identify the sites with continuously increased potencies for
specific toxicity. The influence of important sediment
parameters such as organic carbon and grain size on the
presence of chemicals with specific mode of action has been
examined. The project was supported by GACR 525/05/P160.
V životnim prostředi se vyskytuje siroke spektrum latek antropogenniho i přirodniho původu. Environmentalni vzorky obsahuji směsi latek s různými fyzikalně-chemickými vlastnostmi a potencialni biologickou aktivitou. Některe z těchto latek mohou ovlivňovat endokrinni system a nepřiznivě působit na zdravi volně žijicich druhů i clověka. Chemicke latky mohou narusovat funkci endokrinniho systemu různými mechanismy, např. ovlivněnim produkce, uvolňovani, transportu, metabolizmu, vazby, působeni nebo eliminace přirozených hormonů. Dizertacni prace je zaměřena na hodnoceni kontaminace různých složek prostředi latkami působicimi některými specifickými mechanismy ucinku za použiti in vitro biotestů. Konkretně bylo studovano působeni komplexnich environmentalnich vzorků na tři intracelularni receptory (estrogenni, androgenni a arylhydro-karbonový receptor). Dizertacni prace je rozdělena do tři tematických casti, ktere se zabývaji hodnocenim kontaminace různých typů vzorků z řicniho prostředi pomoci in vitro testů, kombinaci in vitro a in vivo testů pro posouzeni kontaminace vodniho prostředi a hodnocenim znecistěni vzduchu latkami se specifickými mechanismy působeni. Výsledky uvedene v teto praci byly zveřejněny ve ctyřech odborných publikacich a jsou soucasti dvou manuskriptů. Prvni cast dizertacni prace je zaměřena na kontaminaci vodniho prostředi. Ve dvou modelových oblastech v Ceske republice byly odebrany různe typy vzorků, ktere byly testovany na specificke efekty a chemicky analyzovany. V publikacich I a II byl sledovan vliv městske aglomerace a cistirny odpadnich vod (COV) na kontaminaci řicniho prostředi. Vzorkovanými matricemi byly sedimenty, dva typy pasivnich vzorkovaců (SPMD pro hydrofobni latky a POCIS pro polarni latky) a směsne vzorky odpadni vody. Výsledky ukazaly, že městska aglomerace a COV přispivaji ke znecistěni řek různými typy latek. Rovněž byla sledovana distribuce jednotlivých specifických aktivit mezi sedimenty, odpadnimi vodami a vodami vzorkovanými pasivnimi vzorkovaci. Vsechny typy vzorků vykazovaly cytotoxicitu a aktivitu dioxinoveho typu. Estrogenni a androgenni aktivita byla detekovana ve vzorcich z COV, zatimco antiestrogenita a antiandrogenita se vyskytovala ve vzorcich z řicniho prostředi. Měsicni odběry směsných vzorků odpadni vody během celeho roku umožnily hodnoceni sezonni variability a ucinnosti cistěni odpadni vody v COV. Vzorky sedimentů a vody vzorkovane pasivnimi vzorkovaci během ctyř vzorkovacich kampani byly použity pro studium sezonni variability. Sedimenty vykazovaly zjevne trendy a zaroveň nejmensi variabilitu, což potvrzuje vhodnost jejich použiti pro hodnoceni kontaminace, jelikož odraži dlouhodobějsi stav řek. Regionalni a sezonni variabilita kontaminace sedimentů z jine průmyslove oblasti byla studovana a popsana v clanku III. Tato studie se zabývala vztahy mezi chemickými, abiotickými a biologickými parametry, kvantifikaci hlavnich zdrojů variability environmentalnich dat a jejich vlivem na bioindikacni potencial biotestů. Výsledky ukazaly znacný potencial specifických biotestů indikovat rozdily ve znecistěni a take význam abiotických faktorů pro akumulaci polutantů. Druha cast dizertacni prace popisuje soucasne použiti in vivo testu s pisecnikem novozelandským (Potamopyrgus antipodarum), in vitro testů a chemických analýz pro komplexni hodnoceni kontaminovaných sedimentů (clanek IV) a kontaminace řicniho ekosystemu (clanek V). V obou studiich, ktere zahrnovaly laboratorni test s kontaminovanými sedimenty a in situ test na stejných lokalitach jako ve clancich I a II, byla ovlivněna fertilita pisecniků a pr
The aim of this study is the interconnecting of chemical and biological monitoring to obtain complex characterization of contamination in the aquatic environment, focused especially on endocrine disruptive (ED) activity. The study has been conducted in a region of city agglomeration in Central Europe with 400,000 inhabitants and many industrial activities. Multiple types of integrative passive samplers have been used to detect presence of contaminants with ED-potential in water - SPMD (Semi-Permeable Membrane Devices) and POCIS (Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler) for polar pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Battery of in vitro bioassays has been used to assess contamination by compounds with specific modes of action in water, sediments and fish tissue extracts. The bioassays with recombinant yeast and cell systems have been used to evaluate cytotoxic, dioxin-like, (anti)estrogenic and (anti)androgenic potency. The complex approach enabled to assess the presence and distribution of compounds with specific mode of action in various components of the river ecosystem as well as elucidate the character ED-active compounds in the river water. The project has been supported by MSMT 2B06093 and INCHEMBIOL 0021622412.
