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Title: Digestive determinants of benzo[a]pyrene and phenanthrene bioaccumulation by a deposit-feeding polychaete

Journal Article · · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
;  [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Integrative Biology

The uptake of hydrophobic contaminants from ingested sediment can contribute significantly to body burdens of deposit feeders, and feeding behavior and digestive physiology can play important roles in bioaccumulation. The authors examined the uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by the deposit-feeding polychaete Abarenicola pacifica in experiments in which worms were first acclimated to low or high organic carbon sediments with 0.08 or 0.45% total organic carbon, respectively and then transferred to low or high organic carbon test sediments contaminated with radiolabeled phenanthrene or benzo[a]pyrene. Ingestion rate was measurements are essential in many types of bioaccumulation studies because differences in ingestion rates between sediment types may confound some traditional measures of bioavailability. Physiological acclimation to the low or high organic carbon sediments did not appear to affect PAH uptake from the test sediments, but acclimation did affect biotransformation capabilities, particularly for phenanthrene.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
675441
Journal Information:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 17, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English