Modeling the temporal, spatial and chemical variability in bioaccumulation: Issues and applications
- Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY (United States). Dept. of Environmental Engineering
As new data are generated, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is considerable variability of chemical concentrations in aquatic organisms over time, space and chemical classes. Examples include the Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) of PCB congeners in Green Bay and the Hudson estuary, PAHs in river systems, and mercury speciation over trophic space in lakes as well as chemical variability in organs of aquatic animals. Understanding the causes of such variability through food web transfer models is important in predicting the impacts of chemical accumulation on the aquatic and wildlife related ecosystems. Variability is considered from three sources: bioavailable water and sediment concentrations, ecosystem dynamics and chemical type and structure. BAF models are used to evaluate the contribution of these sources of variability to the observed BAF. For example: (1) for the Hudson estuary PCB congeners in the blue fish, a time variable BAF model indicates the significance of organism weight changes on uptake and deputation during migration into the estuary, (2) for methyl Hg in upper trophic levels, a BAF model indicates the potential for methylation by top predators, (3) for Green Bay PCB congeners, a BAF model as a function of log Kow does not explain observed variability within a Kow sub-class, and (4) for cadmium in fish, a pharmacokinetic model shows the significance of within-organism metal transfers. The current BAF models aid significantly in understanding the variability in organism chemical concentrations and also indicate gaps in predicting chemical-specific (e.g., PCB congener) behavior. Since toxicity effects and ecosystem health are ultimately determined by temporal and spatial exposure to specific chemicals, BAF models must be further developed to explain the variability in observed data.
- OSTI ID:
- 211956
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9617%%272
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BAYS
WATER POLLUTION
ESTUARIES
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CADMIUM
METHYLMERCURY
FOOD CHAINS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION