Metabolic alteration and excretion of anthracene by Daphnia pulex.

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) constitute a series of compounds, some of which are potent carcinogens, which have been detected in natural waters throughout the world. Major sources are aqueous effluents from high-temperature industrial pyrolysis processes, including coke production (Andelman and Suess, 1970). Coal liquefaction, which may provide substantial quantities of synthetic fuel within 15 years, may also release PAH in wastewater streams (Guerin, 1975). Because PAH have been demonstrated to concentrate to high levels in tissues of aquatic organisms (Shimkin et al., 1951; Scaccini-Cicatelli, 1966; Stegeman and Teal, 1973), a potential exists for biomagnification within food webs to levels hazardous both to fish and to human consumers of aquatic organisms. Corner (1975) has suggested that uptake by filter-feeding organisms may constitute a major mechanism of entrance of PAH to aquatic food chains. In this laboratory, we have demonstrated the ability of several invertebrates to concentrate anthracene, a three-ring PAH compound, from both dissolved and particulate forms. In this paper we present further investigations of the kinetics of excretion and metabolic alteration of anthracene by a representative zooplankter (Daphnia pulex) to evaluate the effect of excretory processes on the potential for bioaccumulation of PAH compounds in aquatic organisms.