Isolation and tentative identification of compound in bleached-kraft mill effluent capable of causing mixed-function oxygenase induction in fish

A substance isolated from a bleached-kraft mill effluent, capable of causin g mixed-function oxygenase (MFO) induction in rainbow trout and in a hepato cyte cell line, was tentatively identified. The MFO-inducing chemicals in f inal pulp-mill effluent were isolated with the use of C-18 solid-phase extr action and high-performance liquid chromatography fractionation. Compound i dentifications for the MFO-inducing fractions were made using gas chromatog raphy with low- and high-resolution mass spectrometry. In comparing data fr om each of three fractionation trials, we noted that MFO activity correspon ded best with the presence of a compound tentatively identified as a chlori nated pterostilbene. The parent compound belongs to the pinosylvin family, a group of naturally occurring substances that are often present in conifer ous trees.