DIOXIN-LIKE COMPOUNDS IN HPLC-FRACTIONATED EXTRACTS OF MARINE SAMPLESFROM THE EAST AND WEST-COAST OF SWEDEN - BIOASSAY-DERIVED AND INSTRUMENTALLY-DERIVED TCDD EQUIVALENTS

Lipophilic extracts of sediment, settling particulate matter (SPM) and blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) samples, collected at coastal locations on the east and west coast of Sweden, were HPLC-separated into three f ractions containing 1. monoaromatic/aliphatic, 2. diaromatic (e,g, pol ychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and poly chlorinated dibenzofuraus (PCDDs/Fs)), and 3, polyaromatic compounds ( e,g, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), The fractions were test ed for dioxin-like effects using a sensitive bioassay, based on EROD-i nduction in cultured chicken embryo livers, The concentrations of PCDD s/Fs, PCBs and 15 PAHs in the samples were also determined, The polyar omatic fractions of the sediment samples were more potent as EROD-indu cers than the diaromatic fractions, Only a small part of the EROD-indu ction caused by the polyaromatic fractions could be explained by the a nalysed PAHs in the samples, indicating presence of non-quantified pol yaromatic EROD-inducing compounds in the samples, A greater pollution by EROD-inducing diaromatic and polyaromatic compounds on the east coa st site than on the west coast site was seen, The filtration activitie s and faeces production of the mussels on the east coast experimental site increased the sedimentation of PCDDs/Fs, PCBs and PAHs, The descr ibed bioassay proved very useful in the assessment of dioxin-like comp ounds in both abiotic and biotic samples from the marine environment, (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd, All rights reserved.