Metabolism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the aquatic environment

Book · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:6126221

Varanasi, U ^[1]

---

1. ed.

The impetus for these studies has come from diverse developments, including increased transport of petroleum across major waterways of the world and consequent concern about accidental spills, reports of epizootics of diseases in fish populations from PAH-contaminated areas, and a general awareness of the problems of marine pollution, including implications toward human health. Recent advances in the areas of PAH biogeochemistry and bioaccumulation, microbial degradation, enzymes of activation and detoxication, metabolism of PAH, and laboratory and field studies on carcinogenic/toxic effects, are presented. Additionally, important similarities and differences in metabolism of PAH by aquatic and terrestrial organisms are discussed. Because many aquatic organisms reside in confined waters, where they may be exposed to xenobiotics over long periods of time, they serve as good models for studies to establish cause and effect relationships between exposure to xenobiotics and subsequent biological effects. Further, the ability to integrate information from controlled laboratory studies with epizootological data on the same species gives added strength to their use in such studies. Therefore, the epizootological evidence for the role of PAH as etiologic agents in piscine hepatocarcinogenesis is evaluated. The use of fish models in experimental carcinogenesis is also considered, even though much of this information is not obtained using PAH. Except for this specific emphasis, the underlying theme of the book is to show how biological transport, bioaccumulation, disposition, and toxicity of PAH in the aquatic environment are influenced by the ability or inability of organisms to metabolize these environmental pollutants. Separate abstracts are processed for 10 chapters in this book for inclusion in the appropriate data base.

• OSTI ID: 6126221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
METABOLISM
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIODEGRADATION
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CARCINOGENESIS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
LEADING ABSTRACT
OIL SPILLS
PETROLEUM
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION
ABSTRACTS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
MASS TRANSFER
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATHOGENESIS
POLLUTION
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology