In vitro cytotoxicity of organic pollutants to bluegill sunfish (BF-2) cells.

BF-2 cells, an established cell line derived from bluegill sunfish, (Lepomis macrochirus), were exposed to 18 organic toxicants, with cytotoxicity being assayed by the neutral red (NR) technique. Based on the concentration of toxicant that reduced lysosomal uptake of neutral red by 50% (NR50), the rank order of cytotoxicity was methyl mercury greater than pentachlorophenol greater than 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenol greater than 2,3,5-trichlorophenol greater than 2,3-dinitrotoluene greater than 2,4,6-trichlorophenol greater than 2,4-dichlorophenol greater than 2,4-dichlorotoluene greater than 6-chloro-3-hydroxytoluene greater than o-chlorotoluene greater than 4-chlorophenol greater than 2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol greater than 2,4-dinitrophenol greater than 4-nitrophenol greater than 3-methylphenol greater than phenol greater than toluene. Published in vivo LC50 values were identified for 11 of the 18 test agents and, with the exception of 2,4-dinitrophenol, there was a good correlation between the in vitro cytotoxicity of the test agents and their in vivo waterborne acute toxocity. The potencies of the substituted phenolics and chlorinated toluenes as determined by the in vitro cytotoxicity assay correlated strongly with their log octanol/water partition coefficients (log P). However, the toxicity of 2,3-dinitrotoluene in vitro, and apparently also in vivo, was not a function of its log P value.