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. Routes of PCB uptake were quantitatively evaluated for 15 PCBs (log Kow 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 Kow. 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 showthat 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.

Toxicity and bioaccumulation of TNT in marine fish in sediment exposures

“…This result for nitroaromatic compounds is in contrast with results obtained during studies of similar organic contaminants including PAHs, PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants, where it was reported that direct contact with sediment surfaces resulted in uptake by benthic fish (Stein et al, 1984;Hellou et al, 1994Hellou et al, , 1995Smith et al, 1996;Moermond et al, 2004;Fragoso et al, 2006). The body residue of benzo(a)pyrene via dermal contact, evaluated using anesthetized catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) placed directly on spiked sediment, was several times higher than in fish not in direct contact with the sediment (Smith et al 1996).…”

Dynamic modeling predicts continued bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomiu) post phase-out due to invasive prey and shifts in predation

“…Smallmouth bass has previously been observed to accumulate higher levels of persistent organohalogen compounds and mercury than other organisms due to trophic position (Kwon et al, 2006;Sethajintanin et al, 2004), but only recently has the importance of the direct link between benthic uptake and predatory fish been observed (Carlson et al, 2010;Hogan et al, 2007). Prior to the invasion of the round goby, the lack of a benthic link allowed for the sequestration of such persistent compounds to benthic organisms (Moermond et al, 2004). The more rapid rate of change simulated for the zebra mussel is indicative of benthic isolation and implies that the round goby is not as efficient as the zebra mussel with respect to PBDE uptake or that the dietary assumptions made for the zebra mussel are too drastic and must be revised.…”

In situ Treatment with Activated Carbon Reduces Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Food Chains

“…It has been argued that direct uptake from water via the gills is predominant in small fish individuals e.g., early life stages and for low LogK OW PCB congeners, whereas uptake from food dominates in adult fish and for higher chlorinated PCBs. 23,41,42 One-year-old Golden Orfe feeds mainly on zooplankton, both in pelagic and benthic habitats, and thus is subjected to PCB uptake from both food and water.…”