title: In vitro and in vivo toxicities of sediment and surface water in an area near a major steel industry of Korea: endocrine disruption, reproduction, or survival effects combined with instrumental analysis.
abstract: The influence of industrial and/or municipal contaminant inputs on the aquatic environment of Pohang, Korea was investigated, with a focus on bioassay combined with instrumental analysis. Pohang is the most heavily populated city in Gyeongsangbuk-do province of Korea, with more than half a million residents, and also hosts the nation's biggest steel manufacturer and related industries. Sediment (n=15) and surface water samples (n=17) were collected from Hyeongsan River which runs across the Pohang city, in two separate events, i.e., June 2010 and February 2011. Sediment samples were first Soxhlet-extracted (raw extract) and were measured for estrogenicity using H295R cell line, and also analyzed for alkylphenols (APs), bisphenol A (BPA), PAHs, and PCBs. For sediment samples which exhibited greatest effects in the cell line, further fractionation was performed into non-polar, mid-polar, and polar portions. In surface water samples, heavy metals were also analyzed. Among 15 sediment samples, station S2 near the steel industry complex and station M3 near the municipal area showed the greatest sex hormone changes, and these changes were generally explained by the fractions which contained APs and BPA. Principal component analysis (PCA) however suggests that chemicals that were not analyzed in the present study would better explain endocrine disruption capacity of sediments. In water samples, adverse effects on hatchability and growth of Japanese medaka fish, and on Daphnia reproduction were noted following exposure to six water samples collected from stations near industrial and municipal areas. Several heavy metals and nonylphenol (NP) concentrations exceeded surface water quality guidelines, suggesting adverse effects of contamination inputs from both industrial and municipal activities. Observed estrogenicities in stations such as S2 and M3 warrant further investigations on longer term ecosystem impacts near industrial and municipal areas. The levels of major organic chemicals in sediments are quite comparable to those reported in ~10 years ago, emphasizing a need for source control.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sunmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sangwoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheolmin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Xiaoshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jihyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyorin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyunghee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seongjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jinsoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environmental Sciences & Research Institute of Oceanography, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Khim
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seokmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woojin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeongim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kyungho@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyungho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008669:Metallurgy; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D056910:Republic of Korea; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Alkylphenols; Bisphenol A; Estrogenic activity; In vivo bioassay; Sediment; Surface water