Effects of chlorine content and carbon chain length in the bioaccumulation of chlorinated paraffins by juvenile rainbow trout

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:203634

Fisk, A T; Cymbalisty, C ^[1]; Muir, D C.G. ^[2]; Bergman, A ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada). Dept. of Soil Science
2. Freshwater Inst., Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)
3. Stockholm Univ. (Sweden)

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are C{sub 10{minus}30} chlorinated n-alkanes used as high pressure lubricants, flame retardants and plasticizers. Relatively little is known about their chemical-physical properties or bioaccumulation potential. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were exposed to three dietary concentrations (approximately 0, 20 and 200 ng/g) of two {sup 14}C- dodecane (56 and 69% Cl) and hexadecane (35 and 69% Cl) CPs. Assimilation efficiencies ranged from a mean of 11.3 {+-} 3.1 % for the high chlorinated hexadecane to 49.2 {+-} 27.8% for the low chlorinated dodecane. Half-lives varied from a mean of 21 {+-} 1.6 days in the low chlorinated dodecane to 404 {+-} 289 days in the high chlorinated dodecane. The high chlorinated dodecane was found to have a biomagnification factor (BMF) of 14.8 and 2.5 for the low and high concentration treatments respectively, implying a potential to biomagnify. Chlorine content and carbon chain length both appear to effect bioaccumulation. Higher chlorination was associated with longer half lives and lower elimination rates. Longer carbon chain lengths produced lower assimilation efficiencies and BMF values. Low assimilation efficiencies (8.2 to 1 4.4%) and elimination rate constants (0.008 to 0.009 days-{minus}) found for the high chlorinated hexadecane may be attributed to the large size (MW 668) of this molecule. Short chain, highly chlorinated CPs are the most likely to bioaccumulate, and need further assessment of risk to the aquatic environment.

• OSTI ID: 203634
• Report Number(s): CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
CARBON
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CHLORINE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SENSITIVITY
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TROUT
WATER POLLUTION