Organic pollutant characterization and toxicity testing of settling particulate matter by nanoinjection in sea trout (Salmo trutta) eggs

A "nanoinjection" technique was used to expose sea trout (Salmo truttta) eggs to a toluene extract of settling particulate matter (SPM) and fractions thereof from the urban waters of Stockholm, Sweden. Total extract (unfractionated), fractions collected using fractionation on an open Florisil(R) column (F1-F4), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) aminopropylsilica/2(1-pyrenyl)ethyldimethylsilulated silica column (A1-A7 and A2/P1-P3), and recombined fractions of Florisil (F-Ret) and HPLC (A-Rec) were injected into fertilized sea trout eggs. Toxicity was evaluated on the basis of deformities at hatching and in larval stages and on the basis of larvae mortality. Chemical analysis, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was performed on all HPLC fractions and indicated that major components of fractions A2/P1 and A3 through A7 were polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or their alkylated derivatives. Fraction A2/P2 contained non-ortho-chlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, and some Cl-substituted PAHs. Deformities at hatching were observed mainly in the larvae exposed to fraction A-Rec. F2 showed the highest effect on larvae mortality, and both F-Rec and A-Rec showed antagonistic mechanisms. The frequency of deformities in larvae was highest in fractions A2/P2, F4, and A-Rec. Fractions A2/P1 and F1, which partly contained similar substances, showed similar effects on deformity at hatching and larvae mortality; however. F1 showed no effect on larvae abnormality compared with A2/P1. This could have been due to antagonistic mechanisms acting in F1.