Table 2

Whole sediment toxicity (reproduction tests with Caenorhabditis elegans), genotoxicity in pore water (Comet assay), and estrogenic activity in pore water (YES = yeast estrogen screen).

Control

Danube

Rhine

Elbe

Toxicity test ^a

reproduction

133.7 ± 21.7

90.8 ± 13.4

58.9 ± 16.4

69.3 ± 17.8

% inhibition

0

32.1

55.9**

48.1**

Comet Assay ^b

25% pore water

7.64 ± 1.06

8.72 ± 0.63

9.28 ± 1.05

10.86 ± 0.54

50% pore water

7.06 ± 0.43

11.59 ± 1.84

13.50 ± 0.80*

13.50 ± 0.80*

YES test ^c

EEQ [ng/L]

^-

9.0 ± 2.26

18.8 ± 5.33

31.6 ± 11.6***

^a The toxicity test is based on the mean of four replicate experiments

^b % tail DNA (% vitality) was calculated of 100 randomly selected nuclei on two replicate slides;

^c EEQ values were calculated from three independent experiments (performed using 50% pore water), each consisting of three replicates;

* Significantly different to the negative control (p < 0.05);

** Significantly different to the negative control (p < 0.01);

*** Significantly different to the Danube sample (p < 0.05).

Menzel et al. BMC Genomics 2009 10:160   doi:10.1186/1471-2164-10-160