Passive-Sampler-Based Bioavailability Assessment of PCB Congeners Associated with Aroclor-Containing Paint Chips in the Presence of Sediment

Guilherme R Lotufo,Philip T Gidley,David W Moore,Deborah A Edwards,Andrew D Mcqueen,Allen D Uhler,Jeffery Hardenstine

doi:10.1007/s00244-021-00907-2

Abstract

This is the first investigation of the bioavailability of PCBs associated with paint chips (PC) dispersed in sediment. Bioavailability of PCB-containing PC in sediment was measured using ex situ polyethylene passive samplers (PS) and compared to that of PCBs from field-collected sediments. PC were mixed in freshwater sediment from a relatively uncontaminated site with no known PCB contamination sources and from a contaminated site with non-paint PCB sources. PC < 0.045 mm generated concentrations in the PS over one order of magnitude higher than coarser chips. The bioavailable fraction was represented by the polymer-sediment accumulation factor (PSAF), defined as the ratio of the PCB concentrations in the PS and organic carbon normalized sediment. The PSAF was similar for both field sediments. The PSAFs for the field sediments were ~ 50–60 and ~ 5 times higher than for the relatively uncontaminated sediment amended with PC for the size fractions 0.25–0.3 mm and < 0.045 mm, respectively. These results indicate much lower bioavailability for PCBs associated with PC compared to PCBs associated with field-collected sediment. Such information is essential for risk assessment and remediation decision-making for sites where contamination from non-paint PCBs sources is co-located with PCB PC.

Highlights

This is the first investigation of the bioavailability of PCBs associated with paint chips (PC) dispersed in sediment
The congener profile is presented here as the relative contribution of PCB congeners to the ∑PCB concentration, which was similar for a subsample of the PC used in this study and PC mixed with Horseshoe Lake (HSL) sediment for 60 d (Supplementary Materials Fig. S2)
This study comparatively evaluated the bioavailability potential of PCB-containing PC dispersed in sediments with no known PCB impact (HSL sediments) and in with sediments with historical PCB impacts from non-paint sources (MH sediments)

Summary

Introduction

This is the first investigation of the bioavailability of PCBs associated with paint chips (PC) dispersed in sediment. The PSAFs for the field sediments were ~ 50–60 and ~ 5 times higher than for the relatively uncontaminated sediment amended with PC for the size fractions 0.25–0.3 mm and < 0.045 mm, respectively These results indicate much lower bioavailability for PCBs associated with PC compared to PCBs associated with field-collected sediment. Such information is essential for risk assessment and remediation decision-making for sites where contamination from non-paint PCBs sources is co-located with PCB PC. Additional information on the environmental contamination by PCB-containing paint, including concentrations reported for biota, sediment and soil at impacted sites are provided in the Supplementary Materials. Understanding the bioavailability for PCBs associated with PC relative to the bioavailability of native sediment PCBs (i.e., differential bioavailability) is greatly desirable

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Discussion

Conclusion