Publication Abstract

Identification of toxic substances in UK estuaries

K.V. Thomas, J. Thain and M.J. Waldock

The organic load of bulk water samples, collected from five industrially impacted estuaries, was extracted by solid phase extraction and where, using a Tisbe battagliai bioassay, toxicity was demonstrated a toxicity directed fractionation scheme was applied to isolate causal compounds. To reduce the complexity of the extracts toxicity profiles were obtained following solid phase fractionation and reverse phase HPLC. Candidate toxic contaminants were identified by GC-MS. All procedures were evaluated with a series of reference compounds of widely differing polarity. The method was successful in identifying compounds, which traditionally have not been selected for inclusion in monitoring programmes, as the cause of detrimental environmental effect. The results suggest that chlorinated phenols are a major contributor to poor water quality on the lower reaches of the river Tyne and alkylphenol surfactant metabolites on the river Tees. Other compounds, as yet unidentified, also contribute to poor water quality. It is suggested that the identified compounds should now be surveys and considered for inclusion in future monitoring programmes.

Reference:

K.V. Thomas, J. Thain and M.J. Waldock, 1999. Identification of toxic substances in UK estuaries. Environmental Toxicilogy and Chemistry, 18: 401-411