Abstract
This study examined the chemical and biological availability of two nonpolar organic compounds, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP), from a spiked sediment that was aged for varying amounts of time. Chemical availability was evaluated using four different solvent combinations to extract chemicals from the sediment. The extractability of BaP and HCBP from sediment using traditional solvents was then compared to the transfer efficiency (TE) of a benthic invertebrate (Lumbriculus variegatus) to relate chemical extractability to bioavailability in the organisms. Results indicated that water was the solvent that best approximated bioavailability for BaP, whereas comparisons for HCBP were inappropriate, because TE values exceeded 100%. The inability to obtain a reasonable TE estimate for HCBP was most likely due to the fact that the oligochaetes received a major portion of their uptake from interstitial water instead of ingestion of sediment particles, which invalidated an important assumption of the TE model. Overall, the results of this study indicate that exhaustive chemical extractions may be an inaccurate representation of the bioavailable fractions for some contaminants.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
