title: Toxicological and chemical investigation of untreated municipal wastewater: Fraction- and species-specific toxicity.
abstract: Absence of a municipal wastewater (WW) treatment plant results in the untreated WW discharge into the recipient. The present study investigated toxic effects and chemical composition of water extracts and fractions from untreated WW and recipient Danube River (DR). Samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction and silica gel fractionation and screened for EROD activity and cytotoxicity using aquatic models, comprising of fish liver cells (PLHC-1) and a model of the early development of zebrafish embryos, while rat (H4IIE) and human (HepG2) hepatoma cells served as mammalian models. Polar fraction caused cytotoxicity and increased the EROD activity in PLHC-1 cells, and increased mortality and developmental abnormalities in developing zebrafish embryos. In H4IIE, polar fraction induced inhibition of cell growth and increased EROD activity, whereas HepG2 exerted low or no response to the exposure. Non-polar and medium-polar fractions were ineffective. Tentative identification by GC/MS showed that WW is characterized by the hydrocarbons, alkylphenols, plasticizers, and a certain number of benzene derivatives and organic acids. In DR, smaller number of organic compounds was identified and toxicity was less pronounced than in WW treatments. The present study revealed the potent toxic effect of polar fraction of untreated WW, with biological responses varying in sensitivity across organisms. Obtained results confirmed that fraction- and species-specific toxicity should be considered when assessing health risk of environmental pollution.
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hrubik
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Glisic
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tubic
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ivancev-Tumbas
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Radmila
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Samardzija
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nebojsa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andric
authors.affiliation: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology and Ecology, Laboratory for Ecotoxicology, Novi Sad, Serbia. Electronic address: sonja.kaisarevic@dbe.uns.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaisarevic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005399:Fishes; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D056945:Hep G2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Cytotoxicity; EROD; Polar fraction; Species-specific toxicity; Wastewater