Showing papers on "Bioaccumulation published in 2004"

A food web bioaccumulation model for organic chemicals in aquatic ecosystems.

Abstract: The present study examines a new bioaccumulation model for hydrophobic organic chemicals in aquatic food webs. The purpose of the model is to provide site-specific estimates of chemical concentrations and associated bioconcentration factors, bioaccumulation factors, and biota-sediment accumulation factors in organisms of aquatic food webs using a limited number of chemical, organism, and site-specific data inputs. The model is a modification of a previous model and incorporates new insights regarding the mechanism of bioaccumulation derived from laboratory experiments and field studies as well as improvements in model parameterization. The new elements of the model include: A model for the partitioning of chemicals into organisms; kinetic models for predicting chemical concentrations in algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton; new allometric relationships for predicting gill ventilation rates in a wide range of aquatic species; and a mechanistic model for predicting gastrointestinal magnification of organic chemicals in a range of species. Model performance is evaluated using empirical data from three different freshwater ecosystems involving 1,019 observations for 35 species and 64 chemicals. The effects of each modification on the model's performance are illustrated. The new model is able to provide better estimates of bioaccumulation factors in comparison to the previous food web bioaccumulation model while the model input requirements remain largely unchanged.

Biological and chemical factors of importance in the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of persistent organochlorine contaminants in Arctic marine food webs.

Abstract: Recent studies of arctic marine food webs have provided detailed insights regarding the biological and chemical factors that influence the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of persistent organochlorine (OC) contaminants in aquatic systems. The present paper summarizes the recent literature with an emphasis on identifying important ecological factors for explaining variability of OC concentrations among organisms. The Arctic ecosystem has a number of unique attributes, including long food chains, reduced diversity of species, similar food webs across the entire region, and limited influence from pollution point sources. Lipid content, body size, age, gender, reproduction, habitat use, migration, biotransformation, seasonal changes in habitat conditions, feeding ecology, and trophic position have all been demonstrated to influence OC concentrations and bioaccumulation in arctic marine biota. The relative importance of each factor varies among OCs and organisms. Diet or trophic level is the dominant factor influencing OC concentrations and dynamics in seabirds and marine mammals, although biotransformation can significantly influence nonrecalcitrant OCs, such as hexachlorocyclohexane isomers. Dietary accumulation of OCs is also an important route of exposure for arctic fish and zooplankton, and biomagnification of OCs may also occur among these organisms. To date, only limited attempts have been made to model trophic transfer of OCs in the arctic marine food web. Although models developed to assess OC dynamics in aquatic food webs have included some biological variables (e.g., lipid content, feeding rate, diet composition, and growth rate), selection of processes included in these models as well as their mathematical solutions and parameterization all introduce simplification. This reduces biological validity of the models and may be particularly problematic in a highly seasonal environment, such as the Arctic Ocean.

Bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and biochemical effects of brominated diphenyl ethers in juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush).

Abstract: Juvenile lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were exposed to three dietary concentrations (0, approximately 25, and approximately 25 ng/g per BDE congener) of 13 BDE congeners (3-10 Br atoms) in the laboratory for 56 days, followed by 112 days of clean food, to examine bioaccumulation parameters and potential biochemical effects The bioaccumulation of BDEs by the trout was highly influenced by biotransformation, via debromination, which resulted in bioaccumulation parameters that were much different than would be expected based on studies of chlorinated organic compounds (eg, PCBs) Half-lives (t1/2's) for some BDE congeners (eg, BDE-85 and -190) were much lower than expected based on their Kow, which was likely due to biotransformation, whereas t1/2's of other BDE congeners (eg, BDE-66, -77, -153, and -154) were much longer than anticipated based on Kow This was likely because the metabolites of BDE formed via debromination had the same chemical structure of these BDE congeners, which supplemented measured concentrations The detection of three BDE congeners (an unknown penta, BDE-140, and an unknown hexa) in the fish that were not present in the food or in the control fish provide further evidence forthe debromination of BDEs Half-lives of BDEs ranged from 38 +/- 9 to 346 +/- 173 days and biomagnification factors ranged from 16 (BDE-190) to 459 (BDE-100), but these bioaccumulation parameters need to be viewed with caution because they were highly influenced by debromination and relative abundance of individual BDEs that the fish were exposed to CYP1A enzyme activity, measured as EROD, and free tri-iodothyronine (T3) concentrations in the plasma of lake trout varied significantly throughout the experiment but were not related to BDE exposure In contrast, plasma levels of thyroxine levels (T4) were lower in both groups of PBDE-exposed fish compared with control fish after 56 days of exposure, and after 168 days in the high dose, suggesting that PBDEs may influence thyroid homeostasis at levels that are higher than what is normally found in the environment

Special Issue Honoring Don Mackay INTESTINAL ABSORPTION AND BIOMAGNIFICATION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN FISH, WILDLIFE, AND HUMANS

Abstract: Methods for the regulatory assessment of the bioaccumulation potential of organic chemicals are founded on empirical measurements and mechanistic models of dietary absorption and biomagnification. This study includes a review of the current state of knowledge regarding mechanisms and models of intestinal absorption and biomagnification of organic chemicals in organisms of aquatic and terrestrial food chains and also includes a discussion of the implications of these models for assessing the bioac- cumulation potential of organic chemicals. Four mechanistic models, including biomass conversion, digestion or gastrointestinal magnification, micelle-mediated diffusion, and fat-flush diffusion, are evaluated. The models contain many similarities and represent an evolution in understanding of chemical bioaccumulation processes. An important difference between the biomagnification models is whether intestinal absorption of an ingested contaminant occurs solely via passive molecular diffusion through serial resistances or via facilitated diffusion that incorporates an additional advective transport mechanism in parallel (i.e., molecular ferrying within gastrointestinal micelles). This difference has an effect on the selection of physicochemical properties that best anticipate the bioaccumulative potential of commercial chemicals in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Current regulatory initiatives utilizing KOW threshold criteria to assess chemical bioaccumulation potential are shown to be unable to identify certain bioaccumulative substances in air-breathing animals. We urge further research on dietary absorption and biomagnification of organic chemicals to develop better models for assessing the bioaccumulative nature of organic chemicals.

Intestinal absorption and biomagnification of organic contaminants in fish, wildlife, and humans.

Abstract: Methods for the regulatory assessment of the bioaccumulation potential of organic chemicals are founded on empirical measurements and mechanistic models of dietary absorption and biomagnification. This study includes a review of the current state of knowledge regarding mechanisms and models of intestinal absorption and biomagnification of organic chemicals in organisms of aquatic and terrestrial food chains and also includes a discussion of the implications of these models for assessing the bioaccumulation potential of organic chemicals. Four mechanistic models, including biomass conversion, digestion or gastrointestinal magnification, micelle-mediated diffusion, and fat-flush diffusion, are evaluated. The models contain many similarities and represent an evolution in understanding of chemical bioaccumulation processes. An important difference between the biomagnification models is whether intestinal absorption of an ingested contaminant occurs solely via passive molecular diffusion through serial resistances or via facilitated diffusion that incorporates an additional advective transport mechanism in parallel (i.e., molecular ferrying within gastrointestinal micelles). This difference has an effect on the selection of physicochemical properties that best anticipate the bioaccumulative potential of commercial chemicals in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Current regulatory initiatives utilizing Kow threshold criteria to assess chemical bioaccumulation potential are shown to be unable to identify certain bioaccumulative substances in air-breathing animals. We urge further research on dietary absorption and biomagnification of organic chemicals to develop better models for assessing the bioaccumulative nature of organic chemicals.

Linking metal bioaccumulation of aquatic insects to their distribution patterns in a mining-impacted river

Abstract: Although the differential responses of stream taxa to metal exposure have been exploited for bioassessment and monitoring, the mechanisms affecting these responses are not well understood. In this study, the subcellular partitioning of metals in operationally defined metal-sensitive and detoxified fractions were analyzed in five insect taxa. Samples were collected in two separate years along an extensive metal contamination gradient in the Clark Fork River (MT, USA) to determine if interspecific differences in the metal concentrations of metal-sensitive fractions and detoxified fractions were linked to the differences in distributions of taxa relative to the gradient. Most of the Cd, Cu, and Zn body burdens were internalized and potentially biologically active in all taxa, although all taxa appeared to detoxify metals (e.g., metal bound to cytosolic metal-binding proteins). Metal concentrations associated with metal-sensitive fractions were highest in the mayflies Epeorus albertae and Serratella tibialis, which were rare or absent from the most contaminated sites but occurred at less contaminated sites. Relatively low concentrations of Cu were common to the tolerant taxa Hydropsyche spp. and Baetis spp., which were widely distributed and dominant in the most contaminated sections of the river. This suggested that distributions of taxa along the contamination gradient were more closely related to the bioaccumulation of Cu than of other metals. Metal bioaccumulation did not appear to explain the spatial distribution of the caddisfly Arctopsyche grandis, considered to be a bioindicator of metal effects in the river. Thus, in this system the presence/ absence of most of these taxa from sites where metal exposure was elevated could be differentiated on the basis of differences in metal bioaccumulation.

Effects of sedimentary sootlike materials on bioaccumulation and sorption of polychlorinated biphenyls.

Abstract: Bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic chemicals from sediments containing soot or sootlike materials has been hypothesized to be limited by strong sorption of the chemicals to the soot matrixes. To test this hypothesis, we quantified bioaccumulation of 11 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the aquatic oligochaete Limnodrilus sp. exposed to spiked sediment with and without the sootlike materials coal and charcoal. In addition, sorption experiments with sediment containing varying amounts of coal or charcoal were performed to elucidate the accumulation mechanism. Results showed that coal and charcoal (at realistic levels of 1.5% on a dry-wt basis) reduced PCB accumulation in worms 1.2 to 8.5 times when expressed on a mass basis. Moreover, whereas bioaccumulation from pure sediment increased with molecular planarity of the PCBs (toxic potency), it decreased in case of sediments containing coal and charcoal. In contrast to this advantageous effect, it was hypothesized that coal and charcoal had an adverse influence on the habitat quality of oligochaetes: Organisms inhabiting sediment containing coal or charcoal had significantly reduced lipid contents as compared to organisms from pure sediment. Because of these reduced lipid contents, lipid-normalized PCB concentrations in worms and biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) for most PCBs were higher in sediments containing the sootlike materials as compared to those for reference sediment. Also, measured BSAFs for coal- and charcoal-containing sediments appeared to be much higher than estimated on the basis of equilibrium partitioning theory. Sorption experiments revealed that this was caused by much weaker sorption to the sediment-coal/charcoal mixture than calculated assuming linear additivity of sorption capacities of the distinct phases. It was hypothesized that this weaker sorption resulted from competition between PCBs and dissolved organic carbon molecules for sorption sites on coal/charcoal. This points to a sorption process that is much more complicated than generally assumed.

Evaluation of pah bioaccumulation and dna damage in mussels (mytilus galloprovincialis) exposed to spilled prestige crude oil

Abstract: We analyzed the hydrocarbon composition of the Prestige oil as it reached the shores, its solubility in sea water, its bioaccumulation, and the genotoxic damage associated to oil exposure, using Mytilus galloprovincialis as sentinel organism. Mussels were exposed to two oil volumetric ratios (1:500 and 2:500) for 12 days. Great concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAH) have been obtained, being in general higher in the samples from the dose of 1:500, both in sea water (55.14 vs. 41.96 μg/l) and mussel tissue (16,993.80 vs. 17,033.00 μg/kg), probably due to the great tendency of these compounds to link to particles in water. Comet assay results reflected an increase in the DNA damage associated to oil exposure, higher in the mussels exposed to the higher aqueous TPAH content. In the view of our results, the importance of the evaluation of biodisponibility, bioaccumulation and DNA damage in the assessment of the effects of xenobiotic pollutants to marine environments could be highlighted.

A food chain model to predict the levels of lipophilic organic contaminants in humans

Abstract: A fugacity-based, nonsteady state, mechanistic model called ACC-HUMAN was developed to describe bioaccumulation of lipophilic organic pollutants from air, water, and soil to humans. The physical environment was linked via a marine and an agricultural food chain model to a human bioaccumulation model. Contaminant uptake via the primary dietary sources of persistent lipophilic contaminants in industrialized countries was addressed, namely fish, dairy products, and beef. In addition, uptake from air and water was considered, allowing the model also to treat less lipophilic compounds. To evaluate the model, the food chain characteristics were parameterized for southern Sweden and historical scenarios of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in air, water, and soil in this region were constructed from published data. The resulting model predictions of PCB concentrations in fish, milk, beef, and human tissue agreed well with measured concentrations from Swedish monitoring programs. This suggests that ACC-HUMAN is a useful tool for predicting human exposure to bioaccumulative organic compounds. It can be linked easily to existing multimedia fate and transport models.

Bioaccumulation potential of persistent organic chemicals in humans

Abstract: A model was used to explore the influence of physicalchemical properties on the potential of organic chemicals to bioaccumulate in humans. ACC-HUMAN, a model of organic chemical bioaccumulation through the agricultural and aquatic food chains to humans, was linked to a level I unit world model of chemical fate in the physical environment and parametrized for conditions in southern Sweden. Hypothetical, fully persistent chemicals with varying physical-chemical properties were distributed in the environment, and their bioaccumulation to humans was calculated. The results were evaluated using the environmental bioaccumulation potential (EBAP), defined as the quotient of the chemical quantity in a human divided by the quantity of chemical in the whole environment. Since the latter is closely related to emissions, EBAP is potentially a more useful tool for comparative risk assessment of chemicals than currently used medium-specific measures such as the fish-water bioaccumulation factor. A high environmental bioaccumulation potential, defined as > 10% of the maximum EBAP, was found for chemicals with 2 < log KOW < 11 and 6 < log KOA < 12. While these chemical partitioning properties clearly influenced bioaccumulation at each trophic level, these effects tended to equalize over the food web. The fact that the transfer from the environment as a whole to humans was quite uniform over a large chemical partitioning space suggests that these partitioning properties are relatively unimportant determinants of human exposure compared to other factors such as the substance's persistence in the environment and in the food web.

Relationship between metabolism and bioaccumulation of benzo[a]pyrene in benthic invertebrates.

Abstract: The potential influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolism on bioaccumulation is well accepted, but rarely has been examined in many species of benthic invertebrates that commonly are found in contaminated sediments, or used in bioaccumulation or toxicity tests. In this study, the relative ability of 11 species of near-shore benthic invertebrates to metabolize and bioaccumulate a model PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), was evaluated. Species examined included six polychaetes (Clymenella torquata, Nereis virens, Nereis succinea, Nephtys incisa, Spio setosa and Cirriformia grandis), three bivalves, (Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, and Mulinia lateralis), and two amphipods (Ampelisca abdita and Leptocheirus plumulosus). After 7 d of exposure to sediments spiked with radiolabeled B[a]P, metabolites comprised between 6.1% (Clymenella torquata) to 85.7% (Nereis succinea) of total accumulated B[a]P, with individual species from the same phylogenetic groups showing large differences in their ability to metabolize this PAH. Bioaccumulation factors (B[a]P in tissue/B[a]P in sediment) were inversely related to the species' ability to metabolize PAH, highlighting the importance of considering metabolism when interpreting bioaccumulation across several species. These data argue strongly against the continued use of the large polychaete Nereis virens, one of the species showing the greatest ability to metabolize B[a]P, for bioaccumulation testing when PAHs are being considered. Other commonly used test species had relatively low levels of metabolism (Ampelisca abdita, Leptocheirus plumulosus, and Macoma balthica), supporting their use in evaluation of potential PAH impact on the environment.

Stable metal isotopes reveal copper accumulation and loss dynamics in the freshwater bivalve Corbicula.

Abstract: Characterization of uptake and loss dynamics is critical to understanding risks associated with contaminant exposure in aquatic animals. Dynamics are especially important in addressing questions such as why coexisting species in nature accumulate different levels of a contaminant. Here we manipulated copper (Cu) stable isotopic ratios (as an alternative to radioisotopes) to describe for the first time Cu dynamics in a freshwater invertebrate, the bivalve Corbicula fluminea. In the laboratory, Corbicula uptake and loss rate constants were determined from an environmentally realistic waterborne exposure to 65Cu (5.7 microg L(-1)). That is, we spiked deionized water with Cu that was 99.4% 65Cu. Net tracer uptake was detectable after 1 day and strongly evident after 4 days. Thus, short-term exposures necessary to determine uptake dynamics are feasible with stable isotopes of Cu. In Corbicula, 65Cu depuration was biphasic. An unusually low rate constant of loss (0.0038 d(-1)) characterized the slow component of efflux, explaining why Corbicula strongly accumulates copper in nature. We incorporated our estimates of rate constants for dissolved 65Cu uptake and physiological efflux into a bioaccumulation model and showed that dietary exposure to Cu is likely an important bioaccumulation pathway for Corbicula.

Influence of metal speciation in natural freshwater on bioaccumulation of copper and zinc in periphyton: a microcosm study.

Abstract: The free ion activity model (FIAM) has already been confirmed under laboratory conditions for many trace metals but has still to be validated under natural conditions where the presence of natural organic ligands influences metal speciation and bioavailability. The goal of this study was to test if the FIAM is followed under natural conditions by measuring copper and zinc speciation as well as metal accumulation in periphyton. Periphyton was exposed in microcosms to natural river water with different added concentrations of copper (25−258 nM) or zinc (18−501 nM) and additions of a synthetic ligand (NTA). Free Cu2+ was in the range of 10-16.5−10-14.5 M and Zn2+ was in the range of 0.7−8.7 nM, as measured by competitive ligand exchange coupled with cathodic/anodic stripping voltammetry. Other metal complexes were either measured or computed. Bioaccumulation of zinc in periphyton appeared to be controlled by the free zinc ion concentration, confirming the FIAM. In contrast, bioaccumulation of copper was cont...

Arsenic speciation in tissues of the Mediterranean polychaete Sabella spallanzanii.

Abstract: Arsenic toxicity is strictly related to its chemical form and marine organisms are known to accumulate this element mostly as organoarsenic nontoxic molecules. Contrasting with this general trend, the presence of moderately toxic to toxic arsenic compounds recently has been reported in some polychaete species, showing a completely different profile of represented chemical species. In this work the presence and distribution of arsenic were characterized in the Mediterranean polychaete Sabella spallanzanii, by analyzing total levels in different tissues and subcellular fractions and the occurrence of various arsenical compounds. Further investigations on arsenic accumulation in S. spallanzanii were based on the capability of this species to regenerate the branchial crown both in laboratory and field conditions. Though basal levels of arsenic in the thorax were similar to those already described for most polychaetes and invertebrate species, branchial crown revealed a remarkable accumulation of this element with concen- trations higher than 1,000 mg/g. Arsenic mainly was localized in a soluble form within the cytosol and dimethyl-arsinate (DMA) appeared the most represented chemical species. Experiments on bioaccumulation of arsenic in regenerating branchial crowns confirmed the environmental origin of this element and the time-dependent appearance of various As compounds suggested a methylation pathway more than a degradation process for the elevated content of DMA. The accumulation of this moderately toxic compound in the more vulnerable tissues of the polychaete might represent an antipredatory strategy, as indicated by some feeding trials where fish ate the thorax but rejected the branchial crowns. Keywords—Arsenic compounds Dimethyl-arsinate Chemical speciation Polychaetes Sabella spallanzanii

Understanding the differences in Cd and Zn bioaccumulation and subcellular storage among different populations of marine clams.

Abstract: The marine clams Mactra veneriformis were collected from three different locations in a contaminated bay in Northern China. Another species of clams Ruditapes philippinarum was collected from the same contaminated bay as well as from a relatively clean site in Hong Kong. The indices of Cd and Zn bioaccumulation (assimilation efficiency, dissolved uptake rate, and efflux rate), tissue concentration, subcellular distribution, metallothionein (MT) content, and clearance rate of the clams were subsequently quantified in these populations in the laboratory. In the two species of clams, the population with a higher Cd tissue concentration assimilated Cd and Zn more efficiently, in correlation with an increase in the Cd associated with the metallothionein-like protein (MTLP) fraction. The subcellular partitioning of Zn was similar among the different populations. The dissolved uptake rates of Cd and Zn were not influenced by the different tissue concentrations of metals in the clams. However, the clam R. philippinarum from the contaminated site reduced their Zn uptake rate constants in response to increasing Zn concentration in the water. Differences in Cd and Zn tissue concentrations had little influence on the metal efflux rate constant and the clams' clearance rate. Our results indicate that the higher Cd and Zn tissue concentrations observed in these two species may be partially caused by the high levels of metal assimilation. Populations living in contaminated environments may be able to modify their physiological and biochemical responses to metal stress, which can subsequently alter trace metal bioaccumulation to aquatic animals. The relative significance of dietary uptake and the potential trophic transfer of metals in the contaminated areas may be substantially different from those in the clean environments.

Bioavailability of Sediment-bound Metals to Marine Bivalve Molluscs: An Overview

Abstract: Coastal marine sediments are commonly enriched in metals, including potentially toxic trace metals, by natural processes and human activities. These sediments have long been regarded as the final repositories of contaminants, but in recent years it has been recognized that they can also serve as potentially important sources of metal contaminants for benthic organisms and benthic food chains in general. The geochemical and biological factors governing the bioavailability of diverse metals (Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Se, Zn) that are bound to different kinds of marine sediments are reviewed. Particular attention has been paid to those species of marine bivalve mollusks that are used as bioindicators of coastal contamination. Both deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding bivalves can accumulate metals appreciably by assimilating sediment-bound metals that are ingested, although important differences have been recognized between these two feeding modes as well as between metals. The properties of the digestive tracts of deposit and suspension-feeding bivalves that influence metal bioaccumulation from food are also discussed. Through kinetic modeling, the relative importance of ingestion as a route of metal uptake has been compared quantitatively with uptake from the dissolved phase, including from pore water and from overlying water, and has been shown to account for the high concentrations in bivalve tissues for a number of contaminant metals.

Uptake of sediment-bound bioavailable polychlorobiphenyls by benthivorous carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Abstract: It is unclear whether accumulation of sediment-bound chemicals in benthivorous fish depends on the degree of sequestration in the sediment like it does for invertebrates. Here, we report on the potential of slow and fast desorbing sediment-bound polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) fractions for accumulation in carp (Cyprinus carpio) in lake enclosures treated with different nutrient doses It is unclear whether accumulation of sediment-bound chemicals in benthivorous fish depends on the degree of sequestration in the sediment like it does for invertebrates. Here, we report on the potential of slow and fast desorbing sediment-bound polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) fractions for accumulation in carp (Cyprinus carpio) in lake enclosures treated with different nutrient doses. Routes of PCB uptake were quantitatively evaluated for 15 PCBs (log K-0W range 5.6-7.8) using model analysis. Fast-desorbing PCB fractions in the sediment were defined as the ratio of 6-h Tenax-extractable to (total) Soxhlet-extractable concentrations. These fractions varied between 4 and 22% and did not show a clear trend with log K-0W. However, bioaccumulation of PCBs in carp correlated much better with Tenax-extractable concentrations than with total-extractable concentrations. Nutrient additions in the enclosures had a positive effect on PCB accumulation. Model results show that PCB uptake in carp can be explained from (1) uptake through invertebrate food, (2) uptake from fast-desorbing fractions in ingested sediments, and (3) uptake from water, where PCBs are in partitioning equilibrium with fast-desorbing fractions. The main implication of this research is that fast-desorbing PCB fractions in sediments have great predictive potential for bioaccumulation in benthivorous fish.

Toxicokinetics of sediment-associated polybrominated diphenylethers (flame retardants) in benthic invertebrates (Lumbriculus variegatus, Oligochaeta).

Abstract: Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants showing rapid temporal increase in some sample types. The compounds are known to biomagnify in aquatic food webs and are assumed to archive into sediments and soils. Currently, no direct evidence indicates whether sediment-associated PBDEs are available for biota. The aim of the present study was to explore the uptake and elimination of two common congeners (47 and 99) in sediment-inhabiting invertebrates to shed light on possible bioavailability of sediment-associated PBDEs. Two clean lake sediments were spiked with environmentally relevant concentrations of 14C-labeled tetra- and pentabromo diphenylether, and oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus) were exposed for three or four weeks to allow kinetic accumulation calculations. Subsequent depuration tests were performed after three weeks of exposure to obtain depuration rates. Both congeners were clearly bioavailable, and only slight differences in steady-state tissue concentrations were found between the four sediment-ingesting oligochaete treatments (biota sediment accumulation factors [BSAFs], 3.0-3.7). The tetrabromo diphenylether-exposed oligochaetes that did not ingest sediment had clearly lower influx rates (0.1 vs 1-3 nmol h(-1)) than sediment-ingesting worms. Also, the estimated BSAF (1.8) was statistically different from that of the sediment-ingesting oligochaetes. These findings support the significance of feeding behavior in bioaccumulation of very hydrophobic organic contaminants. Depuration of both congeners was biphasic, indicating two kinetically different compartments in L. variegatus. Compartment A made up 73 to 92% of total radioactivity in tissues and had relatively fast depuration rates (half-lives, 10.5-47.5 h); the smaller compartment B had very slow depuration rates. No significant biotransformation of PBDEs was evident. The present study clearly demonstrates that the sediment-associated PBDEs, like other hydrophobic organic contaminants of environmental concern, are not totally sequestered from sediment-inhabiting oligochaetes and are subject to trophic transfer.

Dependency of polychlorinated biphenyl and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioaccumulation in Mya arenaria on both water column and sediment bed chemical activities

Abstract: The bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by the filter-feeding soft-shell clam Mya arenaria was evaluated at three sites near Boston (MA, USA) by assessing the chemical activities of those hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the sediment bed, water column, and organisms. Polyethylene samplers were deployed to measure the activities of HOCs in the water column. Sediment activities were assessed by normalizing concentrations with sediment-water sorption coefficient values, including adsorption to black carbon in addition to absorption by organic carbon. Likewise, both lipids and proteins were considered in biota-water partition coefficients used to estimate chemical activities in the animals. Chemical activities of PAHs in M. arenaria were substantially less than those of the corresponding bed sediments in which they lived. In contrast, chemical activities of PCBs in M. arenaria often were greater than or equal to activities in the corresponding bed sediments. Activities of PAHs, such those of pyrene, in the water column were undersaturated relative to the sediment. However, some PCBs, such as congener 52, had higher activities in the water column than in the sediment. Tissue activities of pyrene generally were in between the sediment and water column activities, whereas activity of PCB congener 52 was nearest to water column activities. These results suggest that attempts to estimate bioaccumulation by benthic organisms should include interactions with both the bed sediment and the water column.