title: Physico-chemical properties and toxicity of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
abstract: Crude oil and refined petroleum products contain many polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in particular, alkylated PAHs. Although alkylated PAHs are found in significantly higher quantities than their corresponding unsubstituted PAHs, the most studies on the physico-chemical properties and toxicities of these compounds have been conducted on unsubstituted PAHs. In this study, we measured crucial physico-chemical properties (i.e., water solubility, partition coefficients between polydimethylsiloxane and water (KPDMSw), and partition coefficient between liposomes and water (Klipw)) of selected alkylated PAHs, and evaluated their toxicity using the luminescence inhibition of Aliivibrio fischeri and growth inhibition of Raphidocelis subcapitata. In general, the logarithms of these properties for alkylated PAHs showed good linear correlations with log Kow, as did those for unsubstituted PAHs. Changes in molecular symmetry on the introduction of alkyl groups on aromatic ring structure significantly altered water solubility. The inhibition of bacterial luminescence and algal growth by alkylated PAHs can be explained well by the baseline toxicity hypothesis, and good linear relationships between log Kow or log Klipw and log (1/EC50) were found.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul02841, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul02841, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul02841, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: junghwankwon@korea.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jung-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D048908:Aliivibrio fischeri / Q000187:drug effects; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects; D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D012995:Solubility; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Alkylated PAHs; Baseline toxicity; K(PDMSw); K(lipw); Solubility