Disposition and depuration of lindane (gamma-HCH) and polychlorinated biphenyl-110 (2,3,3'4'6-pentachlorobiphenyl) in cod (Gadus morhua) and bullrout (Myoxocephalus scorpius) after single oral exposures.

Abstract

The disposition and depuration of lindane (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane [HCH]) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-110 (2,3,3',4',6-pentachlorobiphenyl), orally administered to cod (Gadus morhua) and bullrout (Myoxocephalus scorpius), were investigated using whole-body autoradiography, liquid scintillation counting, and gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Both gamma-HCH and PCB-110 were distributed mainly to lipid-rich organs after absorption from the gastrointestinal tract of cod and bullrout. Compared to bullrout liver, the cod liver contained higher concentrations of both compounds, reflecting the distribution of fat in the two species. In both species, the depuration time for gamma-HCH was shorter than for PCB-110. Both substances were excreted via bile and urine, largely as water-soluble metabolites. The water-soluble bile metabolites, together with PCB-110 metabolites associated to endogenous macromolecules, strongly indicate that this compound is metabolized in both species.