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U.S. Department of Energy
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Modeling the partitioning and bioaccumulation of TCDD and other hydrophobic organic chemicals in lake Ontario

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7239477

Lake trout and sediment data were used to define the biota-to-sediment ratio (BSR) for hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) in Lake Ontario, including 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The BSRs for bioaccumulative PCDD/PCDFs were found to be approximately two orders of magnitude (i.e., 100x) lower than for other HOCs of similar hydrophobicity. To evaluate this difference, a modeling framework is applied which accounts for the significant processes affecting BSR: bioaccumulation, partitioning, and sediment-water chemical distribution.

Research Organization:
Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
OSTI ID:
7239477
Report Number(s):
PB-94-155462/XAB; EPA--600/J-94/107
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English