Content of total organic carbon (TOC) (%) and concentrations of the 16 US EPA-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (ng/g dw) in sediment samples from the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>Note: The data of PAHs were obtained from Liu et al. (2014). n.d. = not detectable or below the detection limit.</p><p>Content of total organic carbon (TOC) (%) and concentrations of the 16 US EPA-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (ng/g dw) in sediment samples from the Yangtze River estuary.</p

Mutagenic activity of three fractions of samples Y2, Y7, Y8 and Y9.

<p>Mutagenicity measured by the Ames fluctuation assay using TA98 bacteria with and without bioactivation enzymes (S9). Mutagenic activity is expressed as maximum induction factor within the dose-response curve.</p

Map of the sampling locations in the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>Map of the sampling locations in the Yangtze River estuary.</p

Mutagenic activity of nine sediment extracts from Yangtze River estuary.

<p>Mutagenic measured by the Ames fluctuation assay using both TA98 and TA100 bacteria strain with and without bioactivation enzymes (S9). TA100 with or without S9 is not shown because no mutagenic effects were observed in any of the samples. Data are shown as maximum induction factor (IF_max) as the highest IF score of a particular sample within the dose-response curve. Multiple symbols indicate different significant levels relative to the negative control (NC): *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i><0.01.</p

AhR-mediated activities of crude and multilayer fractions of sediment extracts from the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>The results are based on EROD inductions with RTL-W1 cells and presented as bio-TEQs. F1 contains non-polar paraffinic components. F2 contains weakly and moderately polar components. F3 contains highly polar components. The numbers in percentage were calculated as (F1+F2+F3–CE)/CE×100%. The difference between the combined F1 to F3 and the induced crude extracts induction is given. Bio-TEQs are given as means of <i>n</i> = 3 independent experiments. CE, crude extracts.</p

AhR-mediated activity of sediment extracts from the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>The values as determined by the EROD assay with RTL-W1 cells are expressed as biological toxicity equivalents (Bio-TEQ; pg/g dw). Data are given as means of 3 replicates ± SD.</p

The contribution of Chem-TEQs of PAHs to Bio-TEQs.

<p>The total biological response of the crude extracts in the EROD assay with RTL-W1 cells are expressed as bio-TEQs. The chem-TEQs of the 16 measured EPA PAHs were calculated by multiplying compounds concentrations and relative equivalency potencies and are given in pg/g dw. Numbers in percent indicated the calculated contribution of these PAHs to the EROD induction in each crude extract.</p

Cytotoxicity of sediment extracts from the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>n.d. = not detectable, indicating that no toxic effect of sediment extracts at a concentration of 100 mg/mL with RTL-W1 cells. NR₅₀ values for sediment extracts are given in mg sediment equivalent per mL medium (mg/mL). All the values are expressed as means ± SD.</p

Cytotoxicity of sediment extracts of the Yangtze River estuary and that of other sediment extracts from previous studies.

<p>Cytotoxicity of sediment extracts of the Yangtze River estuary and that of other sediment extracts from previous studies.</p

Concentrations of the 16 US EPA-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; ng/g dw) in sediment samples from the Yangtze River estuary.

<p>Note: n.d. = not detectable or below the detection limit.</p