Publication Abstract

Toxicity characterisation of sediment porewaters collected from UK estuaries using a Tisbe battagliai bioassay

K.V. Thomas, N.Barnard, K. Collins and J. Eggleton

The lethal toxicity of sediment pore water isolated from samples collected from six United Kingdom estuaries was tested using a Tisbe battagliai bioassay. Samples collected from Dabholm Gut on the Tees, Opposite Canada Dock on the Mersey, Pyewipe flats on the Humber and at the Flood Barrier on the Thames were lethally toxic, whilst samples collected at twenty-five other stations were not. A selection of Phase 1 toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) procedures were then used to characterise the substances responsible for the measured toxicity. In 2000, cationic metals, ammonia, organic compounds and an unknown were identified as the cause of toxicity in the most toxic sample collected. It was shown that the toxicity in samples collected from the same locations in 2001 was due to ammonia. The study demonstrates that the T. battagliai bioassay is suitable for marine sediment pore water TIE and that combined with simple characterisation procedures allow an initial assessment to be made on the cause(s) of toxicity.

Reference:

K.V. Thomas, N.Barnard, K. Collins and J. Eggleton, 2003. Toxicity characterisation of sediment porewaters collected from UK estuaries using a Tisbe battagliai bioassay. Chemosphere, 53(9): 1105-1111.