Biota-to-sediment Accumulation Factors Research Articles

Bioaccumulation Factors (BAFs) and Biota to Sediment Accumulation Factors (BSAFs) for PCBs in pike and eels

"Freely-dissolved" aqueous concentrations of 9 trichlorothrough heptachlorobiphenyls are reported, alongside those in sediments and fish from the R. Severn. For most congeners, BSAFs and lipid-normalised BAFs for pike exceed those for eels. Whilst R. Severn BSAFs are comparable with those for L. Ontario trout and New Bedford Harbour flounder, R. Severn BAFs are 1-2 orders of magnitude lower. This discrepancy may be due to inter-species variability, as well as inter-laboratory differences between operational definitions of "freely-dissolved" aqueous PCB, underlining that the same operational definition must be employed if R. Severn BAFs are extrapolated elsewhere. For eels, correlation of Log K(ow) with Log BAF is better (R(2) = 0.66) than with BSAF (R(2) = 0.13), whilst similar correlation coefficients (R(2) = 0.81 and 0.82) were observed for pike. When Log K(ow) is plotted against BSAF and Log BAF for both species combined, better correlation is observed for Log BAF (R(2) = 0.65), than BSAF (R(2) = 0.36). For both species combined, the observed relationship between Log BAF and Log K(ow) for trichloro-through heptachlorobiphenyls is: Log BAF = 0.96 * Log K(ow) -0.24.

Biota-to-sediment accumulation factors for TCDD and TCDF in worms from 28-day bioaccumulation tests

Sediments from waterbodies near highly urbanized, industrial areas were analyzed for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDD/TCDF) contamination. Using a dredged material evaluation test, Nereis virens worms were exposed to the contaminated sediment for 28 days and then analyzed for TCDD/TCDF to evaluate the potential bioaccumulation of these contaminants. Levels of TCDD/TCDF in N. virens increased as sediment contamination increased. Average TCDD/TCDF biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAF) based on the tissue TCDD/TCDF concentration, tissue lipid content, sediment TCDD/TCDF concentration, and sediment total organic carbon (TOC) from nine sites with varying dioxin contamination were calculated. These average BSAFs were used to predict the uptake of TCDD/TCDF in N. virens exposed to sediments from a tenth site.