Assessment of urban stream sediment pollutants entering estuaries using chemical analysis and multiple bioassays to characterise biological activities Svenja Boehler a , Ruben Strecker a , Patrick Heinrich a , Erik Prochazka b , Grant L. Northcott c , James M. Ataria d , Frederic D.L. Leusch b , Thomas Braunbeck a , Louis A. Tremblay d,e, ⁎ a Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Section, Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 504, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany b Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith School of Environment, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia c Northcott Research Consultants Ltd., Hamilton, New Zealand d Cawthron Institute, Nelson 7010, New Zealand e School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand HIGHLIGHTS • Urban sediment samples were extracted for chemical and biological analyses. • PAHs, musk and metal levels were found at levels close or above quality guidelines. • The extracts showed toxicity, cytotoxic- ity, and endocrine disruption activities. • Pollutants can potentially affect biota through multiple mechanisms of toxicity. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT abstract article info Article history: Received 3 November 2016 Received in revised form 21 March 2017 Accepted 22 March 2017 Available online xxxx Editor: Kevin V. Thomas Stormwater contaminants are a major source of often neglected environmental stressors because of the emphasis placed on the management of municipal and industrial wastewaters. Stormwater-derived pollutants in sedi- ments from two New Zealand estuaries was characterised by analytical chemistry and bioassays. Contaminants were extracted from sediment using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), recovered and concentrated by solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), selected metals, and musk fragrances. The concentrations of PAHs were below the ANZECC Interim Sediment Quality Guideline values while those of lead and zinc exceeded them in some samples. The sediment extracts containing organic contam- inants exhibited acute toxicity in the zebrafish fish embryo toxicity (FET) and teratogenicity, induction of bio- transformation (EROD activity), and genotoxicity (comet assay) in zebrafish. The potential of the extracts to interact with endocrine signalling processes was assessed by GeneBLAzer reporter gene bioassays and they ex- hibited estrogenic, androgenic, and anti-progestagenic activities. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Stormwater Analytical chemistry Zebrafish embryo acute toxicity test EDCs EROD Contaminants Science of the Total Environment 593–594 (2017) 498–507 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Cawthron Institute, Nelson 7010, New Zealand. E-mail address: louis.tremblay@cawthron.org.nz (L.A. Tremblay). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.209 0048-9697/© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Science of the Total Environment journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv