Extraction, fractionation, and toxicity determination of organic contaminants in sediment from coastal area receiving industrial effluents in Kuwait

Sediment samples were collected from the heavily polluted area along the Shuaiba coast of Kuwait, and their toxicity was determined using the direct Microtox solid-phase assay. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile and fractionated by silica gel column chromatography and acid base fractionation. Subsequently, the toxicity of each fraction was characterized. High toxicity was observed for the whole extracts, and the fraction exhibiting the highest toxicity contained mostly nonpolar hydrocarbons. Among the acid base fractions, the neutral fraction contained the highest toxicity.