Dissolved and bioavailable contaminants in the Seine river basin

Diffusive Gradient in Thin Films (DGT) and Semi-Permeable Membrane Devices (SPMDs) were deployed in the Seine river basin in order to assess labile metals and truly dissolved Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. We show that the tools are reliable in aquatic environments to assess the speciation of dissolved contaminants and hence provide a good insight into the potential bioavailability of contaminants. The deployment of the DGT and SPMDs in contrasting environments in the Seine river basin allowed distinction to be made of availability of contaminants between headwater streams and much more impacted river reaches and an assessment of bioavailability. At the stations under urban influence, the impact of dissolved organic matter on both copper and PAHs bioavailability is less pronounced than at upstream stations, where hurnic substances dominate. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.