The bioaccumulation of 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to sediments artificially contaminated by Iranian Heavy Crude Oil was measured and the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) was estimated through laboratory experiments. The proportion of 16 PAHs accumulated in the tissue of R. philippinarum was only from 3 to 7% of total PAHs. Among 16 PAHs, the concentration of naphthalene was highest in the tissue. Alkylated PAHs were highly accumulated more than 93% of total PAHs. The C3 dibenzothiophene was most highly accumulated. The relative composition of alkylated naphthalenes in the tissue of R. philippinarum was lower than in the sediments. In contrast, those of alkylated compounds of fluorenes, phenanthrenes, dibenzothiophenes were higher in the tissue than the sediments. The BSAF for sum of 16 PAHs was 0.11 to 0.13 g carbon/g lipid and that for alkylated PAHs was 0.05 to 0.06 g carbon/g lipid. Naphthalene showed the highest BSAF value. Alkylated PAHs with the same parent compound, BSAF tended to increase with the number of alkylated branch increased, except for alkylated chrysenes. BSAF of total PAHs lies between that of field-based values, and are also similar to those of other persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, DDTs, HCHs). This study provides the BSAF values of individual alkylated PAHs accumulated in R. philippinarum for the first time and will be used as a basis for further understanding the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants in the marine benthic organisms.
Recolonization of benthic fauna in defaunated sediment contaminated with octylphenol (OP) has been investigated by the use of in situ microcosm exposure study. Trays with defaunated sediment (control) and those treated with five OP concentrations (0.59, 5.4, 7.6, 66, and 660 μg g 1 , sediment dry weight (DW)) were exposed at the subtidal (ca. 10 m), in the southern coast of Korea, over two months. The initial response (after one-month exposure) of macrozoobenthos at the trays of control and three lower OP (0.59-7.6 μg g 1 DW) showed rapid colonization of macrozoobenthos with high diversity and abundance. However, the species number sharply decreased after two-month exposure, particularly at the tray of greatest OP (660 μg g 1 DW) treated with species number from 15 (after 30-days) to 3 (after 70-days). Other univariate indices such as abundance and biomass of benthic macrofauna also showed concentration-and time-dependent declines, indicating a potential adverse effect of OP on benthic community recolonization. Further, the multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) analysis that clearly separated two distinct faunal groups of macrobenthos during exposure supported the concentration-dependant recolonization followed by succession at the OP concentration of ¤7.6 μg g 1 DW. Similar to macrofauna, the meiofaunal abundance significantly decreased at the OP concentration of ¤7.6 μg g 1 DW, indicating certain threshold of OP between 7.6-66 μg g 1 DW that caused adverse effect on benthic community recolonization. Although the critical adverse OP concentration found in community level was relatively high compared to the environmental concentrations (ppb levels) reported in coastal sediments, it should be pointed out that certain species could be influenced by the exposure of lower OP concentrations.
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