The biomagnification of PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs in a simplified laboratory food chain
- Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI (United States)
Polychaetes Nereis virens were exposed to contaminated sediment and fed to juvenile lobsters, Homarus americanus exposed to the same sediment for 112 days. Time series uptake and deputation measurements were made for lobster muscle and hepatopancreas. A nonlinear model (BIOFAC) was used to calculate uptake and deputation rate constants, bioaccumulation factors, and steady state concentrations for PCBS, PCDDS, and PCDFS. Biomagnification factors (BMFs), on a lipid weight basis, were calculated for both tissues. Lobsters accumulated PCDDS, PCDFS, and PCBs from contaminated sediment and food (polychaetes). Of the two tissues, lobster hepatopancreas showed the highest concentrations for all compounds analyzed. Of the PCDDs and PCDFs studied, only 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (2,3,7,8-TCDF), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran were detected in lobster muscle and hepatopancreas tissues. Of the PCB congeners studied, 2,2{prime},4,4{prime},5,5{prime} hexachlorobiphenyl (UPAC No. 153) reached the highest concentration in lobster muscle and hepatopancreas. Lobsters also accumulated non-ortho substituted PCBs in both tissues. Biomagnification factors (BMFS) were calculated for lobster muscle and hepatopancreas on a lipid weight basis using steady-state concentrations. BMFs for lobster hepatopancreas were generally higher than those for muscle. Of the PCDDs and PCDFs studied, only 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF were biomagnified in lobster hepatopancreas and muscle compared with levels in the polychaetes. Selected PCB congeners were also biomagnified in both tissues. PCB congeners with log{sub 10} K{sub ow} values > 6.5 had higher BMFs for hepatopancreas tissue than compounds with lower K{sub ow`s}. No trend was evident regarding log{sub 10} K{sub ow} of PCBs and BMFs for lobster muscle.
- OSTI ID:
- 197540
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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