Assessment of toxicity and genotoxicity of hydrophobic organic compounds in wastewater

Abstract

This review highlights and discusses current state of the art and limitations in evaluation and assessment of potential (geno)toxic impact of particle-bound hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in wastewaters on receiving ecosystems. Despite extensive work on whole effluent toxicity testing and concomitant development of protocols for identifying chemical toxicants, little has been done to develop procedures and protocols to identify (geno)toxicity of the particle phase from industrial or municipal wastewaters. Some studies, however, have shown that particulate matter is of considerable importance in the delivery of genotoxins to receiving waters. Further, it has been suggested that such particle-bound HOCs deposited in receiving waters often result in long-term environmental impact. As a consequence, particle-bound HOCs (geno)toxins should be recognized as an important potential hazard. The sparsity of work leads to suggestion of further research to improve understanding of the contribution of these particle-bound pollutants from liquid wastes and their specific role in aquatic ecosystems. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 14: 241–247, 1999