Structure-toxicity correlations of organic contaminants in aqueous coal-conversion effluents

Five series of organic contaminants associated with coal conversion effluents were studied to determine the correlation between the pollutants' known partition coefficients in the octanol-water system and their toxicity to the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis. The compounds tested were anilin, phenol, quinoline, benzene and pyridine, and their derivatives. In all five series, toxicity increased and solubility decreased with increased alkyl substitution. Compounds containing the equivalent of two or more methyl groups were more toxic than those with one or no alkyl substitutions.