title: Activities and identification of aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists in sediments from the Danube river.
abstract: This study is a consequence of a distinct fish decline in the Danube river since the beginning of the 1990s. In contrast to the decline of fish population, former studies have repeatedly documented that the water quality along the Danube river is improving. However, the conclusion of a pilot study in 2002 was that a high hazard potential is associated with local sediments. The present study documents that sediment samples from the Danube river showed comparatively high aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated activity in biotests, using the cell lines GPC.2D.Luc, H4IIE (DR-CALUX) and RTL-W1. The combination of chemical analysis, fractionation techniques and different in vitro tests revealed that priority pollutants could not explain the main induction, even though the concentrations of priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were very high (maximum in the tributary Schwarzach, sum of 16 EPA PAHs 26 mug/g). In conclusion, this investigation shows that nonpriority pollutants mainly mediate the high induction rates. Nevertheless, owing to the effects of PAHs towards fish and the connection between dioxin-like activity and carcinogenicity, the link between contamination and the fish population decline cannot be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Department of Zoology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. s.keiter@zoo.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keiter
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grund
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Bavel
authors.forename: Jessika
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engwall
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kammann
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klempt
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Manz
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olsman
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Braunbeck
authors.forename: Henner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hollert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D002460:Cell Line; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000187:drug effects; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D005858:Germany; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000819:agonists*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1