Application of a food chain model to polychlorinated biphenyl contamination of the lobster and winter flounder food chains in New Bedford Harbor

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Environmental Science and Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00016a022· OSTI ID:5149827

Connolly, J P ^[1]

---

1. HydroQual, Inc., Mahwah, NJ (United States) Manhattan Coll., Riverdale, NY (United States)

As part of a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site a model of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the lobster and winter flounder food chains was developed. This model successfully reproduces tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexachlorobiphenyl concentrations observed at all levels of the food chain and across the 2 order of magnitude concentration gradient in the system. The model indicated that PCB concentrations in the flounder and, to a lesser extent, in the lobster are derived from the sediment. Dietary uptake exceeds uptake across the gill for all four homologues and becomes the dominant route at the higher chlorinated homologues. The assimilation efficiency of ingested PCB apparently declines from relatively high values for tri-chlorobiphenyl to relatively low values for hexachlorobiphenyl. Differences in observed lobster and flounder PCB concentrations appear to be due to differences in the importance of the benthic component of the food chains of these animals and differences in whole body lipid content.

• OSTI ID: 5149827
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States) Vol. 25:4; ISSN ESTHA; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AROMATICS
ARTHROPODS
BENTHOS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CRUSTACEANS
DECAPODS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FISHES
FOOD CHAINS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
HARBORS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
INVERTEBRATES
LAWS
LIPIDS
LOBSTERS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MONITORING
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYTOPLANKTON
PLANKTON
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
SEDIMENTS
UPTAKE
US SUPERFUND
VERTEBRATES
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION