Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates and pesticides in water of Wujin river inflow into Taihu Lake, were detected for assessment of risk to human health. SVOCs were tested with Method 525.2 established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and health risk assessment (HRA) was conducted by the hazard quotient (HQ) approach from US HRA for screening stage. The results for the liquid-solid extraction of water sample measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that three of the tested twenty-three semi-volatile organic contaminants posed potential health risk and the concentrations of 2,4-dinitrotoluene, di-n-butyl phthalate, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene was 0.736, 15.201, 0.307, and 0.334 μg/l, respectively. SVOCs in the Wujin river water might induce risk to environmental health of Taihu Lake as a source of drinking water.
Measurement of the organic compounds found in western Taihu Lake and evaluation of the ambient severity (AS) of the water using multimedia environmental goals (MEG) was conducted. The comet assay and the antioxidant enzyme approach were used to test the potential toxicity of water samples on the microalgae Euglena gracilis. Total concentrations of 25 organic pollutants in samples from two sites were 6.700 and 14.655 μg/l, respectively, with a calculated total ambient severity (TAS) of less than 1 and therefore minimal risk to human and ecological health. Organic extracts from the samples at these two sites was found to induce dose-dependent DNA damage on microalgae cells. DNA damage together with changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities indicated that the potential pollutant toxicity was far higher at one of the two sites than at the other site. The comet assay combined with the activities of antioxidant enzymes may be of value as a biomarker for presence of organic pollutants in drinking water sources.
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