Elimination of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) by Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri), and an Examination of its Kinetics in Lake Ontario Salmonids

Abstract

Subadult rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were fed diets containing hexachlorobenzene (HCB) to establish mean body burdens of 225 and 440 μg HCB per fish. They were sampled after 0, 24, 55, and 110 d to estimate the rate of elimination. The biological half-life or T[Formula: see text] of HCB for trout under the prescribed laboratory conditions was estimated to be at least 7 mo, and perhaps as long as several years. T[Formula: see text] was calculated using body burden or μg HCB per fish, and tissue concentrations or μg/kg HCB. Estimates of T[Formula: see text] derived from tissue concentrations ranged from 61 to 117 d, but this was shown to be due to a relative increase in body weight over the study period. The implications of increasing body weight on kinetics measurements are discussed, and an equation is presented that adjusts for changes in body weight where estimates of T[Formula: see text] are calculated using tissue concentrations.The results of this and other studies on HCB were used to examine the kinetics of HCB in salmonids collected from Lake Ontario. Using the information derived from laboratory studies on rainbow trout, good agreement was achieved between the expected level and that monitored in field samples of rainbow trout, but only a fair agreement was suggested for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Differences in the HCB kinetics of these species may be attributed to body weight, age, and perhaps feeding habits. Concentrations of HCB reported in field sampling programs generally range from 1 to 100 μg/kg in fish, and it is suggested that these levels are primarily due to the limited availability of HCB in the Lake Ontario environment.Key words: contaminants, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), half-life, elimination, depuration, rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri; Lake Ontario