You are here:
Evaluation of the Polyethylene Reverse Sampler as a Dosing System in Marine Phase II Whole Sediment Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIEs)
Citation:
PERRON, M., R. M. BURGESS, K. T. HO, M. C. PELLETIER, C. L. Friedman, M. G. CANTWELL, AND J. P. Shine. Evaluation of the Polyethylene Reverse Sampler as a Dosing System in Marine Phase II Whole Sediment Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIEs). Presented at SETAC Europe 19th Annual Meeting, Goteborg, SWEDEN, May 31 - June 04, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Purpose Statement: Evaluate use of polyethylene device as dosing system in marine exposures.
Description:
Contaminated marine sediments can cause acute and chronic impairments to benthic organisms. Nonionic organic contaminants (NOCs) are often a primary cause of impairment. Toxicity Identification Evaluations (TIEs) are used to identify chemicals causing toxicity in sediments. Phase I sediment TIE methods, designed to identify broad classes of contaminants responsible for impairment, such as NOCs, are well defined. The development of Phase II methods that identify specific chemicals within a contaminant class responsible for impairment is a research challenge. In this presentation, reverse polyethylene samplers (RePES) are evaluated for use in Phase II whole sediment TIEs for NOCs. Specifically, we examined their use as a dosing system to recreate the interstitial water concentrations of chemicals present in whole sediments. Various RePES designs were evaluated in which RePESs were spiked with various NOCs in solvent solutions serving as surrogates for sediment extracts. Based on equilibration times and the agreement of measured and theoretical NOC water concentrations in the dosed system, a design loading NOC solvent solutions directly into polyethylene tubing without the use of triolein was selected. Lastly, a study was conducted using the RePES with extracts of contaminant spiked sediments. The water concentrations and subsequent toxicity in the reconstituted RePES system matched the responses observed in the intact spiked sediments. Under the conditions evaluated, these results demonstrate the RePES design performed successfully as a dosing system.