PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Ten pollutant phenols extracted from an oil refinery discharge, urban storm water and sewage effluent were analysed by gas chromatography-ma ss spectrometry. Recoveries varied from 43% to 97%, with a detection l imit of 0.5 mu g L(-1). Concentrations ranged from below the detection limit up to 114.0 mu g L(-1), the highest being in sewage effluent. T he most common were phenol and cresol. The effects of similar concentr ations were determined in bioaccumulation experiments using the mussel Mytilus edulis and fish Trachurus novaezelandiae. Recoveries of pheno ls from tissues were 10-40%, with a detection limit of 0.5 ng g(-1). 2 ,4-dimethylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 4-chloro, 3-methylphenol, 2,4,6 -trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol were accumulated, with bioconce ntration factors ranging from 2.51 +/- 0.51 for dimethylphenol to 283. 8 +/- 5.58 for pentachlorophenol; when placed in clean sea water, both species depurated all accumulated phenols to concentrations below det ection within 24 h. Neither phenol nor cresol were accumulated. Phenol and o-cresol inhibited the germination of Ulva lactuca gametes at con centrations above 1 mg L(-1) (100 times the concentrations detected in the water samples). Muscle and liver tissue from fish and invertebrat es collected from the oil refinery discharge site in Botany Bay and co ntrol localities contained no detectable phenols.