A dataset on the multi-species and multi-endpoint bioanalytical assessment of environmental samples derived from Swedish wastewater treatment plants.

In vitro bioanalytical tools show great potential to support analytical chemistry in the high-throughput assessment of environmental samples and are approaching regulatory implementation. This dataset showcases the usage of two in vitro systems, zebrafish embryos and cellular reporter gene assays, to assess the toxicological impact of several environmental samples. The samples were taken from three Swedish wastewater treatment plant sites (influent, effluent) and their respective catchments (upstream and downstream recipients). The samples were concentrated via automated solid-phase extraction. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to all environmental samples up to 144 hpf, and sublethal and lethal apical endpoints were recorded in a modified fish embryo acute toxicity test. Influent and effluent samples were further evaluated with five reporter-gene cell lines, covering three different species (zebrafish, human, mouse) and two different modes of action (oxidative stress, xenobiotic metabolism). Cellular viability was assessed from identical technical replicates. All endpoints were evaluated using a no-effect/lowest-effect-concentration (NOEC/LOEC) approach, enabling comparison between whole-organism and cellular in vitro systems. In addition, inter-species sensitivity was assessed by comparing differences across reporter-gene assays. This data article supports an original research article, which builds in part on the raw data presented here, making it accessible to a broader audience and sharing raw data in accordance with the FAIR principles. Fish embryo toxicity assessments and the analysis of upstream and downstream recipient samples are exclusive to this data article. As such, the dataset could be of interest to scientists, regulators, and water treatment operators involved in the toxicological assessment of environmental samples.