Bight ’18 sediment, fish samples to be screened using bioanalytical assays

SCCWRP and its partners in June will begin screening sediment and sportfish tissue samples collected from across the Southern California Bight for bioactive chemical contaminants using bioanalytical screening assays.

More than 100 samples will be screened using the androgen receptor assay, estrogen receptor assay and aryl hydrocarbon receptor assay.

The samples were collected through the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Sediment Quality element. Bight ’18 marks the first time bioanalytical screening will be used at a regional scale to screen for chemical contaminants.

A subset of the samples subsequently will be screened using non-targeted chemical analysis, with a goal to establish habitat-specific chemical fingerprints and identify bioactive chemicals.