In vitro gastrointestinal mimetic protocol for measuring bioavailable contaminants

A method for measuring hydrocarbon contaminants in an environmental sample comprising the steps of:

• a) processing said sample to exclude particles over 1-10 mm in diameter;
• b) preparing a mixture of lipids and bile salts so as to form micelles;
• then
• c) adding said processed sample to the mixture to form a sample-lipid-bile salt mixture composition;
• d) holding the sample-lipid-bile salt mixture composition at a temperature between 20 and 40.degree. C. for 2 to 12 hrs wherein the sample-lipid-bile salt mixture composition separates into a liquid phase and a solid phase;
• then
• e) separating the liquid phase from said solid phase of said sample-lipid-bile salt mixture composition;
• and
• f) measuring the amount of said hydrocarbon contaminants in said liquid phase, whereby the measurement of said hydrocarbon contaminants in said liquid phase represents a fraction of said hydrocarbon contaminants in the environmental sample which would be taken up through oral ingestion of the environmental sample.