Toxicity Assessment by Microtox® in Sediments, Pore Waters and Sediment Saline Elutriates in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea)

Abstract

The toxicity of sediments in the Gulf of Gdansk is analyzed in relation to the chemical composition of interstitial and near-bottom waters, and sediment properties. The toxicity of sediments, pore waters and saline elutriates is determined by using the Microtoxm test based on changes in light production of the luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri. The results indicate considerable toxicity in the majority of examined sediments. Since the sediment elutriates and pore waters are toxic in some cases, the total toxicity of the sediments is likely to be due to both sediment-bound and water soluble substances. The sediment toxicity is related to the percentage contribution of the fine fraction of sediments. A significant correlation between the toxicity of the sediments and the black carbon content implies anthropogenic contamination. The toxicity of the sediments is seen to increase with the increase of hydrogen sulfide concentration in pore waters. The ammonia in pore waters was found not to be responsible for the toxicity of the sediments.

Assessment of heavy metals mobility and toxicity in contaminated sediments by sequential extraction and a battery of bioassays

“…Ammonia concentration in the pore water was not analyzed in the study. However, in other papers it has been found that pore water ammonia concentrations can be inhibitory to test organisms (Phillips et al 2005 ; Rosen et al 2008 ; Łukawska-Matuszewska et al 2009 ). Other studies have found that the Microtox ® test is an inadequate indicator of ammonia toxicity since it is not very sensitive to ammonia (Rosen et al 2008 ).…”

Trends in heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and toxicity from sediment cores of the inner River Thames estuary, London, UK

“…This strain of the organism can be used to evaluate both acute and chronic toxicity as it is sensitive to a broad range of chemicals (organic, trace metals and organo-metals) and used in studies of riverine, estuarine and marine sediments from Europe, North and Central America. 19,[40][41][42][43] The EC 50 proles (i.e. 50% decrease in light output) show that sediments in cores A, B and D are non-toxic to moderately toxic whereas all core C intervals were non-toxic ( Fig.…”

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) in bottom sediments of the Port of Gdansk

“…The results of toxicity of the bottom sediment from the Port of Gdansk and the Gulf of Gdansk (Niemirycz et al 2007, Łukawska-Matuszewska et al 2009, Niemirycz & Jankowska 2011 measured using Microtox® are presented in Table 8.…”