title: Characterization of trace organic contaminants in marine sediment from Yeongil Bay, Korea: 2. Dioxin-like and estrogenic activities.
abstract: This study employed mechanism-specific in vitro bioassays to help characterize the occurrence and distribution of dioxin-like and estrogenic contaminants in sediment from Yeongil Bay, Korea. Approximately 85% of the sediments tested induced significant dioxin-like activity in the H4IIE-luc bioassay, while approximately 50% induced significant estrogenic activity in the MVLN bioassay. Instrumentally-derived estimates of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 17beta-estradiol equivalents tended to underestimate the magnitude of response observed in the bioassays, suggesting that compounds detected by chemical analysis did not account for all the activity associated with Yeongil Bay sediments, or that non-additive interactions were occurring. The greatest dioxin-like and estrogenic activity was associated with the mid-polarity Florisil fractions (F2) expected to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well as chlorinated dioxins and furans. As in previous studies of Korean coastal sediment, more polar fractions (F3) generated more modest responses both in terms of magnitude and the number of samples responding.
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (Oceanography), College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul-Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Jong Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Khim
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Villeneuve
authors.forename: Kurunthachalam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kannan
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000032:analysis*; D005663:Furans / Q000032:analysis; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D007723:Korea; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004967:Estrogens; D005663:Furans; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical