Transfer of benzo(a)pyrene from two invertebrate prey species to the winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus
- Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States). Inst. of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Anthropogenic activities in and around the estuarine environment may introduce compounds with the ability to move through trophic levels, resulting in adverse effects to ecosystems and human health. In order to observe the potential for transfer of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and its derivatives from prey organisms to a predator, a simplified benthic food chain was constructed. Winter flounder, Pleuronectes americanus, were fed via gavage either softshell clams, Mya arenaria, or sandworms, Neanthes virens, that had previously been exposed to {sup 14}C-benzo(a)pyrene-contaminated sediments and contained 5.05 ng/g and 5.8 ng/g activity, respectively (wet weight). The fish received doses every 48 hours for a total of 192 hours after which time, all tissues except the gall bladder were examined for the presence of BaP using liquid scintillation spectrometry (LSC). The bile was extracted with chloroform/methanol and analyzed via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and LSC. The flounders that were fed worms demonstrated increased metabolism of the PAH relative to those fed clams, as shown by higher concentrations of polar metabolites in the bile. This corresponds with the higher concentration of metabolites recovered in the worm tissue; more than 95% of the recovered activity was in the form of polar derivatives whereas the activity in the clam tissue was almost completely parent benzo(a)pyrene. As was expected, the BaP metabolites formed by the fish were mediated by the differing abilities of the prey species to derivatize the PAH. Thus, macrofaunal interactions with sedimentary-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may be important determinants in the fate and transport of these compounds in the benthos.
- OSTI ID:
- 452102
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961149-; TRN: IM9715%%134
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 17. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: partnerships for the environment - science, education, and policy, Washington, DC (United States), 17-21 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of SETAC 17. annual meeting -- Abstract book. Partnerships for the environment: Science, education, and policy; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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