Bioaccumulation factors for chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated butadienes and hexachloroethane

Abstract

AbstractA field study was performed that measured bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for chlorinated benzenes, chlorinated butadienes, and hexachloroethane in four species, Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog), Callinectes sapidus (blue crabs), Brevoortia patronus (gulf menhaden), and Micropoganias undulatus (Atlantic croaker). The measured BAFs were not significantly different among the fishes. The measured BAFs for the C. sapidus were in good agreement with those measured for the fishes except for hexachloroethane (HCE), E‐ and Z‐11,2,3,4‐pentachlorobuta‐1,3‐diene (E‐and Z‐PeCBD), and hexachlorobuta‐1,3‐diene (HCBD). Their measured BAFs were approximately an order of magnitude smaller than those measured for the fishes. The measured BAFs were also in good agreement with BAFs reported/derived from the literature and to BAFs predicted using two methods of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) except for HCE, E‐ and Z‐PeCBD, and HCBD in the C. sapidus. These BAFs were much smaller than the reported/derived and predicted BAFs. The smaller BAFs for HCE, E‐ and Z‐PeCBD, and HCBD were consistent with the metabolism abilities for the C. sapidus, and metabolism processes are believed to be the cause for the smaller BAFs. The predicted BAFs were within a factor of five of the measured BAFs for 90% (n = 48) and 94% (n = 32) using the two methods of the EPA.