Toxicity of Reference Sediment Samples

Abstract

This study was done to determine toxicity of certified reference sediment to be used for quality assurance in sediment toxicity testing program. Certified Reference Harbor Sediment (HS-4B for PAHs) and Estuarine Sediment (LGC-6137 for Trace Metals) were procured commercially from LGC Company, UK, and repeatedly analyzed against solid phase Microtox toxicity assay to determine EC₅₀ values. Both PAHs rich and trace metals rich sediments were very toxic to Microtox with EC₅₀ 405 mg^-1 L and 554 mg^-1 L respectively. Solvent extraction resulted in a drastic decrease in the toxicity of PAHs rich reference sediment sample but in trace metal rich sediment the decrease in the toxicity was marginal. The certified reference sediments with the availability of toxicity data can be incorporated for quality assurance as controls in Microtox toxicity determination of field samples of unknown toxicity

Trends in heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and toxicity from sediment cores of the inner River Thames estuary, London, UK

“…The concentration or percentage values are then benchmarked against toxicity criteria (rating) elicited from either unpolluted control, sediment reference material and or published criteria. 17,18 We used the very toxic <5000 mg L À1 (<0.5%), moderately toxic >5000 to <10 000 mg L À1 (0.5 to 1.0%) and non-toxic >10 000 mg L À1 (>1.0%) benchmarks. 19 These criteria were supported by our analysis of a certied reference material (CRM) NIST 1941b, a sediment collected from the mouth of Baltimore Harbor, with moderately elevated concentrations gave a mean EC 50 of 4318 mg L À1 and a median EC 50 value of 4292 mg L À1 (0.42%) which on the basis of the published benchmarks would be taken to be just within the very toxic rating (Fig.…”