Ecotoxicity of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil

Soil samples from a former cokery site polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were assessed for their toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic organisms and for their mutagenicity. The total concentration of the 16 PAHs listed as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agenc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2007-06, Vol.67 (2), p.190-205
Main Authors: Eom, I.C., Rast, C., Veber, A.M., Vasseur, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Arthropods - drug effects
Arthropods - growth & development
Bioassay
Biological and medical sciences
Brassica
Brassica - drug effects
Brassica - growth & development
Brassica chinensis
Candida
Ceriodaphnia dubia
Collembola
Daphnia magna
Earthworm
Ecosystem
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Eisenia fetida
Folsomia candida
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Lactuca - drug effects
Lactuca - growth & development
Lactuca sativa
Mutagenicity
Mutagens - toxicity
Oligochaeta - drug effects
Oligochaeta - growth & development
Plant
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - toxicity
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata
Reproduction - drug effects
Salmonella typhimurium - drug effects
Salmonella typhimurium - genetics
Soil Pollutants - toxicity
Terrestrial environment, soil, air
Toxicity Tests - methods
Vibrio fischeri
Water extract
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Summary:Soil samples from a former cokery site polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were assessed for their toxicity to terrestrial and aquatic organisms and for their mutagenicity. The total concentration of the 16 PAHs listed as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) was 2634±241 mg/kg dw in soil samples. The toxicity of water-extractable pollutants from the contaminated soil samples was evaluated using acute ( Vibrio fischeri; Microtox ® test, Daphnia magna) and chronic ( Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Ceriodaphnia dubia) bioassays and the EC values were expressed as percentage water extract in the test media (v/v). Algal growth (EC50—3 d=2.4±0.2% of the water extracts) and reproduction of C. dubia (EC50—7 d=4.3±0.6%) were the most severely affected, compared to bacterial luminescence (EC50—30 min=12±3%) and daphnid viability (EC50—48 h=30±3%). The Ames and Mutatox ® tests indicated mutagenicity of water extracts, while no response was found with the umu test. The toxicity of the soil samples was assessed on the survival and reproduction of earthworms ( Eisenia fetida) and collembolae ( Folsomia candida), and on the germination and growth of higher plants ( Lactuca sativa L.: lettuce and Brassica chinensis J.: Chinese cabbage). The EC50 values were expressed as percentage contaminated soil in ISO soil test medium (weight per weight—w/w) and indicated severe effects on reproduction of the collembola F. candida (EC50—28 d=5.7%) and the earthworm E. fetida (EC50—28 d=18% and EC50—56 d=8%, based on cocoon and juvenile production, respectively). Survival of collembolae was already affected at a low concentration of the contaminated soil (EC50—28 d=11%). The viability of juvenile earthworms was inhibited at much lower concentrations of the cokery soil (EC50—14 d=28%) than the viability of adults (EC50—14 d=74%). Only plant growth was inhibited (EC50—17 d=26%) while germination was not. Chemical analyses of water extracts allowed us to identify inorganic water-extractable pollutants as responsible for toxicity on aquatic species, especially copper for effects on D. magna and C. dubia. The soil toxicity on collembolae and earthworms could be explained by 4 PAH congeners—fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene. Yet, toxicity of the cokery soil as a whole was much lower than toxicity that could be deduced from the concentration of each congener in spiked soils, indicating that pollutants in the soil became less
ISSN:0147-6513
1090-2414
DOI:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2006.12.020