Showing papers on "Bioaccumulation published in 1983"

Lipid Quantification of Freshwater Invertebrates: Method Modification for Microquantitation

Abstract: To facilitate determination of lipid content of freshwater invertebrates for bioaccumulation studies, the chloroform–methanol extraction procedure of Bligh and Dyer was modified for microquantitation. Following extraction, lipids were quantified by use of a micro-balance. Recoveries of representative neutral and polar lipids averaged 88.3% with a mean coefficient of variation of 8.6%. Tests with freshwater benthic and pelagic invertebrates demonstrated the applicability of the procedure to samples as small as several milligrams wet weight with a mean coefficient of variation of 11.6%.

The English ― Wabigoon river system. III: Selenium in lake enclosures: its geochemistry, bioaccumulation, and ability to reduce mercury bioaccumulation

Abstract: Aquatic biota have been shown previously to bioaccumulate selenium rapidly with a concomitant reduction in accumulation of mercury when exposed to 100 μg Se/L. Using radioisotope techniques this experiment extends these observations by examining the effects of single additions of sodium selenite at 1, 10, and 100 μg Se/L to experimental ecosystems (130 m3) located in mercury-contaminated Clay Lake, northwestern Ontario (50°03′N, 90°30′W). The major sink for added selenium and mercury was the sediment. Movement of 75Se into the sediments in control enclosures (< 0.2 μg Se/L) appeared to stabilize within 6 wk; however, movement did not stabilize in the selenium enclosures where selenium remaining in water was largely ionic. At first, selenium accumulated rapidly in net plankton but then declined in correspondence with water concentrations. In Anadonta sp. and Orconectes virilis, selenium increased with time and in proportion to ambient selenium. Stable concentrations of selenium were not achieved in fish af...

Examination of bioaccumulation and biomagnification of metals in a precambrian shield lake

Abstract: This paper reports on a comprehensive examination of metal levels at various trophic levels within an undisturbed Precambrian shield lake ecosystem Concentrations of 21 naturally occurring elements (Hg, Cu, Al, Ba, S, Ni, Cd, Ca, Be, Zn, P, Pb, Mg, Sr, Fe, V, Mo, Mn, Ti, B, Cc) were measured in sediments, clams, fish, birds and mammals Mercury was the only element to exhibit biomagnification in both aquatic and terrestial food chains The levels of several metals were elevated in fish-eating birds relative to concentrations observed in the fish Mercury was the only metal which accumulated in muscle tissue with increased age and size of all fish species tested The concentrations of a few other metals were correlated to fish length, but these relationships were not consistent between species

The Impact on Health

Abstract: Potential threat to human health may occur as a result of exposure to a higher heavy metal intake from drinking water provided in lead or copper plumbing; exposure to a higher heavy metal intake particularly mercury and cadmium from the bioaccumulation process in the aquatic food chain.

Accumulation of PCBs, mercury, and cadmium by Nereis virens, Mercenaria mercenaria, and Palaemonetes pugio from contaminated harbor sediments

Abstract: Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, and cadmium by sandworms ( Nereis virens ), hard clams ( Mercenaria mercenaria ) and grass shrimp ( Palaemonetes pugio ) exposed to contaminated sediments from four sites in New York Harbor was studied for a 100-day period. Of the three contaminants monitored, only PCBs were found to bioaccumulate above background (control) concentrations. Small increases in PCB body burden were detected in M. mercenaria and P. pugio , whereas higher concentrations were measured in N. virens . Uptake was affected by the organic content of the sediment. Bioaccumulation factors (concentration in tissue/concentration in sediment) for N. virens ranged from 1.59 in a low organic sediment to 0.15 in a high organic sediment. Results from this study support the contention that sediment concentration alone does not reflect bioavailability and that toxicity tests (bioassays) and field monitoring remain the most direct method for estimating bioaccumulation potential of sediment-bound contaminants.

The English–Wabigoon River System: II. Suppression of Mercury and Selenium Bioaccumulation by Suspended and Bottom Sediments

Abstract: Bioaccumulation of 203Hg and 75Se by several members of the food chain, including fish, was followed in large in situ enclosures in the presence and absence of organic-poor sediment. When the sedim...

Organ and Tissue Distribution of Heavy Metals, and Their Growth-related Changes in Antarctic Fish, Pagothenia borchgrevinki

Abstract: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Antarctic fish remains to be studied. This paper reports the concentrations and distribution of heavy metals in organs and tissues of Antarctic fish, Pagothenia borchgrevinki, collected around the Syowa Station, Antarctica, during 1981, and also discusses the growth-related changes of heavy metal accumulation.The metal concentrations of the whole fish were lower for iron and mercury, and higher for cadmium compared with those of fishes from other oceans. Generally, high concentrations of the metals were observed in the liver, and low ones in the muscle. However, the concentrations of manganese, zinc, copper, lead and nickel were relatively high in the ovary and testis also, and those of manganese and zinc were the highest in the skin. Relatively high concentrations of cadmium and mercury were also found in the testis. Approximately 60* of the metal burden in the whole fish was on their muscle and bone which comprised an average of 80* of the body weight. However, a relat...

Evaluation of models for predicting terrestrial food chain behavior of xenobiotics.

Abstract: The authors evaluated the adequacy and capabilities of proposed univariate regression models for predicting the bioaccumulation of xenobiotic compounds in terrestrial vertebrates for physicochemical properties (structure-activity relationships) or from bioaccumulation by fish. Their findings raised doubts about the generic application of such statistical models, even for purposes for screening large numbers of compounds for potentially high bioaccumulation. They developed a screening level model based on lipophilic tendency of xenobiotic compounds which identified all compounds, but one, with a high bioaccumulation potential in fish, mammals, and birds, from large numbers of compounds. The one compound with a high bioaccumulation potential, which was not identified as such, represents an important class of toxic organic materials not accounted for in existing structure-activity relationships. Furthermore, their model incorrectly placed some compounds into the high bioaccumulation category when existing experimental data demonstrate low actual bioaccumulation. Problems such as those identified suggest that structure-activity relationships are not an adequate substitute for laboratory feeding trials in predicting the bioaccumulation potential of a xenobiotic compound. 15 references, 5 tables.

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of heavy metals and related trace elements

Abstract: A literature review of bioaccumulation and toxicity of heavy metals is presented. The most common heavy metals studied were Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb. The studies dealt with heavy metals in the environment, bioconcentration, toxicity, and detoxification of heavy metals. (JMT)

The English–Wabigoon River System: V. Mercury and Selenium Bioaccumulation as a Function of Aquatic Primary Productivity

Abstract: An experiment was carried out in four 100-m3 in situ enclosures to determine the effect of primary production rate on mercury and selenium concentrations of biota and to test the possibility of ame...

Accumulation of sediment-associated viruses in shellfish

Abstract: The present study focused on the importance of contaminated sediments in shellfish accumulation of human viruses. Epifaunal (Crassostrea virginica) and infaunal (Mercenaria mercenaria) shellfish, placed on or in cores, were exposed to either resuspended or undisturbed sediments containing bound poliovirus type 1 (LSc 2ab). Consistent bioaccumulation by oysters (four of five trials) was only noted when sediment-bound viruses occurred in the water column. Virus accumulation was observed in a single instance where sediments remained in an undisturbed state. While the incidence of bioaccumulation was higher with resuspended rather than undisturbed contaminated sediment, the actual concentration of accumulated viruses was not significantly different. The accumulation of viruses from oysters residing on uninoculated sediments. When clams were exposed to undisturbed, virus-contaminated sediments, two of five shellfish pools yielded viral isolates. Bioaccumulation of undisturbed sediments by these bivalves was considered marginal when related to the concentration of virus in contaminated sediments; they would only represent a significant threat when suspended in the water column. Arguments were advanced for water-column sampling in the region of the water-sediment interface to provide an accurate determination of the virological quality of shellfish harvesting waters.

Bioaccumulation of copper by a defined community of activated sludge bacteria

Abstract: A stable, ten-membered bacterial community has been isolated from activated sludge contaminated with heavy metals, using continuous culture enrichment in the presence of 1 mmol·l−1 Cu2+. The community was resistant to a range of other heavy metals. In the presence of 1 mmol·l−1 Cu2+ the specific growth rate of the community was significantly higher than any of the component bacteria. Copper tolerance (15 mmol·l−1) was very stable and the community was maintained in the presence of Cu2+ ions for 1,500 generations. Cu2+ ions were accumulated from solution up to 30±6% of the dry weight in a continuously-stirred tank reactor. Accumulation was dependent upon the biomass being attached to the reactor walls. Preliminary evidence suggested that the copper was bound to the outside of the bacteria. Bioaccumulation rates fell rapidly upon detachment of the biomass.

Comparative bioaccumulation and elimination of HCH isomers in short-necked clam ( Venerupis japonica ) and guppy ( Poecilia reticulata )

Abstract: In Japan, HCH (l,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane) had been one of the most applied insecticides to arable fields, especially to rice paddies. Residues of e-, 6-, and ~-HCH have been detected as well as insecticidally active y-HCH (lindane) in the environment because technical grade HCH had been formulated and marketed as HCH insecticide (SUZUKI et al., 1976 and 1977; YAMATO et al., 1978). In order to evaluate the environmental impact of insecticides on various organisms, model experiments using popular aquatic organisms are necessary.

Uptake and concentration factor of Aroclor 1254 in aquatic organisms

Abstract: There are several factors that affect PCB bioaccumulation. These include: concentration in the surrounding environment; duration of exposure; temperature; solubility of the pollutant; species age, weight, feeding habits and lipid content; trophic level variations; and adsorption. Bioaccumulation can occur either through ingestion of contaminated food organisms or by direct absorption through the integument. Higher concentrations of PCBs have been found in plankton than in fish, indicating that direct absorption is the primary route of accumulation. This investigation was conducted to follow the uptake and concentration factor (CF) of Aroclor 1254 in selected organisms representing a simple aquatic ecosystem.

Bioaccumulation and Effects of Cadmium and Zinc in a Lake Michigan Plankton Community

Abstract: We conducted four in situ experiments in the southern basin of Lake Michigan to determine the responses of the plankton community to additions of cadmium (3 μg/L) and zinc (15, 30, 60, and 90 μg/L) as well as the bioaccumulation of zinc by different species of crustacean zooplankton. Total cadmium and zinc concentrations in treated enclosures (accounting for pretreatment lakewater concentrations of ~ 20 ng Cd and ~ 1 μg Zn per litre) were calculated from measurements of 109Cd and 65Zn with known specific activities.Zinc significantly reduced zooplankton populations and several other properties of community structure and function at concentrations much lower than those previously reported to be toxic to zooplankton and well below the levels established for protection of freshwater life. Zinc additions as low as 15 μg/L significantly reduced chlorophyll a, primary productivity, dissolved oxygen, specific zooplankton populations, zooplankton species diversity, and community similarity within 2 wk. Population...

The Induction of Tolerance to Heavy Metals in Natural and Laboratory Populations of Fish

Abstract: Aquatic toxicity studies were perfonned on two natural populations of fathead minnows. One group of organisms was taken from a metalcontaminated flyash pond associated with a coal-fired power plant and the other group was collected from relatively uncontaminated hatchery ponds. Acute tests indicated that flyash pond fish were significantly more tolerant to cadmium and copper than were hatchery fish. At an exposure concentration of 6.0 mg Cd/l in moderately hard water, the median period of survival for flyash pond fish was 50.0 hr compared to 6.8 hr for hatchery fish. Both groups of organisms were about equally sensitive to zinc. The metalinduced tolerance observed with animals from the flyash pond was not a sustained response. Additional studies were undertaken to observe the responses of laboratory populations of fathead minnows to acutely toxic cadmium concentrations following acclimation to sublethal exposures of this metal. Based on 96-hr Lc50 values, those animals which had received 35-days prior exposure to 10 and 50 μg Cd/l were 63 to 68% more tolerant to cadmium than were previously unexposed organisms. As with the natural population, tolerance to cadmium in the laboratory fish was not retained. After organisms which had been acclimated to 10 μg Cd/l were transferred to clean water, tolerance to cadmium decreased by three and one-half fold after only 7 days. Developing embryos of the fathead minnow and rainbow trout also acquired tolerance to cadmium. After eggs of the trout had been exposed to 0, 5, and 50 μg Cd/l for 24 days, subsequent acute toxicity tests conducted on the newly hatched larvae gave 7-day LC50 values of 0.70, 1.59, and 2.02 μg Cd/l, respectively. Descriptors: Cadmium Copper Embryos larvae Metals Indicators: Acclimation

Long-Term Effects of Dredging Operations Program. Accumulation of PCBs, Mercury, and Cadmium by Nereis virens, Mercenaria mercenaria, and Palaemonetes pugio from Contaminated Harbor Sediments

Abstract: : Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, and cadmium by sandworms (Nereis virens), hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) exposed to contaminated sediments from four sites in New York Harbor was studied for a 100-day period. Of the three contaminants monitored, only PCBs were found to bioaccumulate above background (control) concentrations. Small increases in PCB body burden were detected in M. mercenaria and P. pugio, whereas higher concentrations were measured in N. virens. Uptake was affected by the organic content of the sediment. Bioaccumulation factors (concentration in tissue/concentration in sediment) for N. virens ranged from 1.59 in a low organic sediment to 0.15 in a high organic sediment. Comparison of 10-day and steady-state concentrations of PCBs in N. virens indicates that a 10-day exposure underestimates equilibrium concentration; however, 10 days is sufficient to detect the potential for PCB accumulation. Results from this study support the contention that sediment concentration alone does not reflect bioavailability and that toxicity tests (bioassays) and field monitoring remain the most direct methods for estimating bioaccumulation potential of sediment-bound contaminants.

[Bioaccumulation of uranium by mussels, Mytilus edulis (L.) collected from the French coasts of the Channel and experimental contamination. Microanalysis by secondary ionic emission].

Abstract: 238U+ was detected in Mytilus edulis collected from the Pas-de-Calais and the Baie de Seine. Storage organs were mantle, digestive gland, intestine epithelium and gonad where the highest values occurred. Uranium uptake happened via gill and digestive tractus, and excretion via kidney. Hemocytes played an important part in uptake, storage and excretion of the metal. M. edulis which was shown to concentrate the radionuclide from the marine environment where the metal exists at trace level, is then proposed as an uranium pollution indicator organism.

The Theory of Accumulation and its Relationship to the Choice of Monitoring Matrices for Dioxins

Abstract: There now exists a sufficient body of theoretical knowledge to translate an environmental input into a matrix concentration. The chemical dynamics of an environmental contaminant will depend on first, the physico-chemical properties of the chemical and secondly, the properties of the different ecosystem compartments. In the case of dioxins in aquatic systems, the combination of a few fundamental measurements such as molecular weight, vapor pressure, solubility, quantum yield, and octanol-water partition coefficient can be used to predict a chemical’s fate and persistence patterns in water, sediments, and biota. While their low water solubility combined with their high octanol-water partition coefficient indicate a high affinity for sediments and biota, theory predicts that the pattern should be homologue specific and a wide range of accumulation patterns should be observed. Even though one would predict that sediments would have a much higher concentration than the biota at equilibrium, the theory of sediment sorption versus that for bioaccumulation suggests that the equilibrium would be reached only after a long period of time. Consequently, in the short-term, biota could be a more appropriate monitoring matrix. Additionally, the bioaccumulation potential of various types of organisms can be modelled on the basis of their metabolic requirements. Thus, because fish depend on water to satisfy their respiratory requirements, they appear more likely to be useful indicators of aquatic contamination than organisms higher on the food chain.