TY - JOUR

T1 - The variability of standard artificial soils

T2 - behaviour, extractability and bioavailability of organic pollutants

AU - Hofman, Jakub

AU - Hovorková, Ivana

AU - Semple, Kirk T.

N1 - Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PY - 2014/1/15

Y1 - 2014/1/15

N2 - Artificial soil is an important standard medium and reference material for soil ecotoxicity bioassays. Recent studies have documented the significant variability of their basic properties among different laboratories. Our study investigated (i) the variability of ten artificial soils from different laboratories by means of the fate, extractability and bioavailability of phenanthrene and lindane, and (ii) the relationships of these results to soil properties and ageing. Soils were spiked with (14)C-phenanthrene and (14)C-lindane, and the total residues, fractions extractable by hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, and the fractions of phenanthrene mineralizable by bacteria were determined after 1, 14, 28 and 56 days. Significant temporal changes in total residues and extractable and mineralizable fractions were observed for phenanthrene, resulting in large differences between soils after 56 days. Phenanthrene mineralization by indigenous peat microorganisms was suggested as the main driver of that, outweighing the effects of organic matter. Lindane total residues and extractability displayed much smaller changes over time and smaller differences between soils related to organic matter. Roughly estimated, the variability between the artificial soils was comparable to natural soils. The implications of such variability for the results of toxicity tests and risk assessment decisions should be identified. We also suggested that the sterilization of artificial soils might reduce unwanted variability.

AB - Artificial soil is an important standard medium and reference material for soil ecotoxicity bioassays. Recent studies have documented the significant variability of their basic properties among different laboratories. Our study investigated (i) the variability of ten artificial soils from different laboratories by means of the fate, extractability and bioavailability of phenanthrene and lindane, and (ii) the relationships of these results to soil properties and ageing. Soils were spiked with (14)C-phenanthrene and (14)C-lindane, and the total residues, fractions extractable by hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, and the fractions of phenanthrene mineralizable by bacteria were determined after 1, 14, 28 and 56 days. Significant temporal changes in total residues and extractable and mineralizable fractions were observed for phenanthrene, resulting in large differences between soils after 56 days. Phenanthrene mineralization by indigenous peat microorganisms was suggested as the main driver of that, outweighing the effects of organic matter. Lindane total residues and extractability displayed much smaller changes over time and smaller differences between soils related to organic matter. Roughly estimated, the variability between the artificial soils was comparable to natural soils. The implications of such variability for the results of toxicity tests and risk assessment decisions should be identified. We also suggested that the sterilization of artificial soils might reduce unwanted variability.

KW - Artificial soils

KW - Bioavailability

KW - Extractability

KW - Lindane

KW - Phenanthrene

KW - Biodegradation

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.10.039

DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.10.039

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24239257

VL - 264

SP - 514

EP - 520

JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials

JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials

SN - 0304-3894

ER -