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ASSESSING RISKS FROM PHOTOACTIVATED TOXICITY OF PAHS TO AQUATIC ORGANISMS
Citation:
Ankley, G T., L P. Burkhard, P. M. Cook, S A. Diamond, R J. Erickson, AND D R. Mount. ASSESSING RISKS FROM PHOTOACTIVATED TOXICITY OF PAHS TO AQUATIC ORGANISMS. Chapter 15., Peter Douben (ed.), PAHs: Ecotoxicological Perspective. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester, Uk, , 275-296, (2003).
Description:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most ubiquitous classes of environmental contaminants. Although most PAHs are toxic only at concentrations large enough to cause narcosis, the toxicity of some can be greatly enhanced through mechanisms that involve molecular activation or excitation. The fact that certain PAHs can act as photosensitizing agents, and produce detrimental effects in mammalian models in the presence of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, has been recognized for some time. Research in subsequent years utilized a variety of in vitro and in vivo models to assess the occurrence of, and mechanisms responsible for, UV-enhanced toxicity of PAHs . . . Since the initial work, there have been a number of studies documenting the fact that UV radiation can greatly increase the toxicity of PAHs in a broad phylogenic spectrum of aquatic species, including bacteria, algae, higher plants, annelids, molluscs, insects, fish, and amphibians. . .