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Title: Toxicokinetics and toxicity of sediment-associated pyrene and phenanthrene in Diporeia spp. : Examination of equilibrium-partitioning theory and residue-based effects for assessing hazard

Journal Article · · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)
;  [1];  [2]
  1. NOAA, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab.
  2. Univ. of Joensuu (Finland). Dept. of Biology

The amphipod Diporeia spp. was exposed to pyrene or phenanthrene-dosed sediments for month-long exposures. Phenanthrene was only slightly toxic with 12 [+-] 3% mortality at the highest sediment dose (0.62 [mu]mol g[sup [minus]1]). Failure to attain and maintain toxic residue body burdens, based on a nonpolar narcosis concentration of approximately 6 [mu]mol g[sup [minus]1], accounts for the low mortality. Phenanthrene toxicokinetic parameters were essentially constant among all doses and consistent with previous measures. Sediment concentration was a poor representation of dose for mortality by pyrene. The relative pyrene distribution among the < 63-[mu]m particles increased in the smallest-sized particles at larger doses. An apparent stimulation of pyrene accumulation was observed as a peak in uptake clearance values between sediment concentrations of 0.16 and 0.26 [mu]mol g[sup [minus]1] dry sediment. The pyrene particle-size distribution and the variation in kinetics with dose provide a partial explanation for the poor representation of dose by the sediment concentration. The pyrene body burdens provided a good dose response yielding LD50 values of 6.3 and 9.4 [mu]mol g[sup [minus]1] for two experiments. These values are consistent with the residue concentrations for 50% mortality by a nonpolar narcosis mechanism. Comparing the experimental and predicted equilibrium partitioning-based sediment concentrations for 50% mortality, the equilibrium prediction overestimates the toxic pyrene sediment concentration by approximately a factor of ten. Diporeia behavior, differential particle-size distribution, and kinetic limitations appear as likely reasons for the variation between calculated and observed concentrations required to produce mortality.

OSTI ID:
6873022
Journal Information:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:11; ISSN 0730-7268
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English