PARENT SESSION

2J - TIE
Poster Hall
8:30 AM - Tuesday, 29 April 2003

(TUP/134) Assessment of in vitro oestrogen receptor agonist potency and alkylphenol content of produced water discharges.

Balaam, Jan¹, Hurst, Mark¹, Thain, John ¹, Thomas, Kevin¹, ¹ CEFAS, Burnham on Crouch, Essex, UK

ABSTRACT- This presentation describes the application of the in vitro yeast oestrogen screen (YES) to determine the oestrogen receptor (ER) agonist potency of produced waters from the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea. Initially five effluents were collected, extracted in situ offshore and tested were shown to contain ER agonists. A toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) approach was then used to identify C_1-9 alkylphenols as the principal ER agonists present in the produced water samples collected. A wider study was then initiated to investigate the in vitro ER agonist potency and alkylphenol content of all produced water discharges in the UK sector of the North Sea. The results of the TIE study and subsequent monitoring study are both described and discussed.

Key words: alkylphenol, oestrogen, produced water, toxicity identification evaluation