| title: | Bioavailability, toxicity and mobility of main industrial and urban pollutants in soil, sediments and solid wastes |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5551 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
2.7. Biotechnology, Food and Drink Technology |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics |
| head of project: | Anne Kahru |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The environmental fate and hazard of toxicants in the environment depends on the source and nature of the toxicant, transfer route, exposed compartment and biological targets. Main goal of this project is to study the bioavailability, toxicity and mobility of main industrial and urban pollutants entrapped in solid matrix samples. The samples comprise Estonian oil-shale industry solid wastes and soils (polluted with PAHs, oil products and phenolic compounds) and industrial soils mostly polluted with PAHs and/or heavy metals. Recombinant sensor bacteria will be constructed and/or refined and applied for the determination of subtoxic bioavailable concentrations of phenolic compounds and heavy metals (e.g., Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg) during both, water-extractable and particle-mediated exposure. The mechanisms of particle-bound toxicity and desorption of sequestered pollutants will be studied using recombinant specific biosensors and bacterial and algal solid-phase toxicity tests. Multritrophic battery of ecotoxicological tests will be applied for the prediction of total hazard to ecosystems, mutagenicity will be studied by Ames assay. Water- and methanol-extractable mutagenicity and toxicity of hydrophobic organic pollutants will be compared for the prediction of groundwater-leachable and total potential (geno)toxicity. Optimal battery of biotests for the different type of pollution will be chosen. Combined with the data on the chemical concentrations and soil structure the obtained integrated knowledge will facilitate the proceeding of the currently prevailing "chemical" strategy for environmental hazard assessment to the meaningful hazard assessment combining chemical and biological analysis tools. This research will yield data for the elaboration of new schemes and/or to improving the existing mathematical models for the study of the transfer of pollutants and toxicological risk in various site and geological situations. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Margit Heinlaan | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics | tehnik/magistrant | |
| 2. | Angela Ivask | NICPB/TTU | res.sci./PhD student | |
| 3. | Anne Kahru | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics | sen. res. scientist | |
| 4. | Kaja Kasemets | NICPB | res.sci. | |
| 5. | Imbi Kurvet | NICPB | res.sci. | |
| 6. | Anu Leedjärv | Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics | tehnik/magistrant | |
| 7. | Lee Põllumaa | NICPB/TTU | res. sci/PhD student | |