Application of Gene Expression Analysis for Sediment Toxicity Stressor Identification

Sediment toxicity tests are frequently used to assess sediment quality along the west coast of North America. However, the use of sediment toxicity information to assist in the development of management actions (e.g., source control, sediment remediation) is limited by the difficulty of determining which contaminants are responsible for the toxic effects. An investigative process known as a Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) is one approach commonly used to determine the toxicants present in environmental samples. However, the TIE process can be expensive, time consuming, and may yield a nonspecific result due to low toxicity or a lack of analytical methods. These constraints limit the application of TIEs, resulting in uncertainty regarding the cause of sediment toxicity in coastal water bodies such as San Francisco Bay.