A toxicological approach for detecting organic micropollutants in environmental samples

Organic micropollutants in surface waters collected from Italian rivers were extracted by preconcentration on XAD-2, XAD-7 resins. Extracts were tested for toxicity on Daphnia magna and analyzed by HPLC, GLC and GC/MS. A number of organic micropollutants was found both in toxic and in non toxic samples. However, some classes of anthropogenic chemicals were found only in toxic samples, their concentration increasing with toxicity. © 1988.