Integrated biomonitoring of dioxin-like compounds for waste management and environment

Many of the biological and toxic responses of polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) have been shown to be mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Several bioanalytical methods have been developed to analyze Ah receptor agonists in cost-and-time effective way such as CALUX-bioassay (chemical-activated luciferase gene expression). This bioassay can detect the sum of dioxin-like activity (including unknown substances) in complex waste and environmental samples. The present paper gives a description of the bioanalytical method and application examples to analyze dioxin-like compounds in waste management samples of thermal/chemical dechlorination processes. The current detection limit of the CALUX in rat hepatoma H4IIE recombinant cells is less than 1 pM TEQ (0.06 pg TEQ/well). The CALUX bioassay is considered to be useful tools for the rapid and integrated monitoring of environmental emission and residual samples as a pre-screening or in combination to chemical analysis.