Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are chemicals that pose potential toxic effects when found at a high enough concentration in surface waters. Quantitative measurement of contaminants in surface waters is a desirable capability for small or locally-based environmental labs. However, this technique is restricted to larger labs with significant instrumental resources. Therefore, our overall research goal is to design a portable instrument capable of detecting and quantifying CECs usable for our local area in Northeastern Minnesota. Currently, toxic concentrations of CECs are not explicitly known, therefore, we have validated a method to identify the levels at which CECs of interest become toxic to cells. Using an in vitro bioassay (MTT assay), the percent of cell viability was quantified for each of the CECs. We exposed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) to a range of environmentally relevant concentrations of DEET, estradiol, BPA, and 4-nonylphenol followed by viability analysis via the validated MTT assay. This yielded colorimetric data that allowed the quantification of cellular viability through ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis).

<i>In vitro</i> quantitative analysis of cytotoxicity of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)

ACS Spring 2022

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In vitro quantitative analysis of cytotoxicity of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)