PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF BIOMARKERS FOR THE MONITORING OF AN OCEAN OUTFALL

The use of several biomarkers of exposure for monitoring a treated mix ed effluent from the Latrobe Valley Ocean Outfall was examined. Sand f latheads (Platycephalus bassensis) were exposed in the laboratory to t wo dilutions of effluent (1.3 and 2.5%, v/v) for three days. Cytochrom e P450 content, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, and bi liary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), 2-chloros yringaldehyde and 2,6-dichlorosyringaldehyde, were measured. There wer e no statistically significant differences in cytochrome P450 content or EROD activity between control and exposed fish. Analysis of the bil e by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of fish exposed to 2.5% effl uent found no increases above background in the levels of PAHs, or spe cific chlorinated phenolics that are found in bleached hardwood pulp e ffluents. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.