Integrated Biomarker Responses of Effluents from Municipal Sewage Treatment Works in Goldfish

The organic toxicants were extracted from the effluents from municipal sewage treatment works (STWs) in Nanjing (Chengbei, Suojincun and Jiangxinzhou STWs) by using solid phase extraction. AChE, GST, EROD, GPx and Na+/K+-ATPase activities in goldfish (Carassius auratus) were determined after exposure of the extracted components. The extracts of water samples from the three STWs induced AChE, GST, EROD and Na+/K+-ATPase activities. The responses of enzymatic activities were mostly significant for those exposures of intermediate polar components, weakly polar components and/or nonpolar hexane extracts. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) index were calculated and used to evaluate an integrated impact of organic toxicants from different sampling sites. The order of negative biological effects of the three STWs was Jiangxinzhou > Chengbei > Suojincun.