Elimination Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Research Articles

The effect of microplastics on the depuration of hydrophobic organic contaminants in Daphnia magna: A quantitative model analysis

Microplastics are emerging pollutants that can absorb large amounts of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs). However, no biodynamic model has yet been proposed to estimate their effects on HOC depuration in aquatic organisms, where the HOC concentrations are time-varying. In this work, a microplastic-inclusive biodynamic model was developed to estimate the depuration of HOCs via ingestion of microplastics. Several key parameters of the model were redefined to determine the dynamic HOC concentrations. Through the parameterized model, the relative contributions of dermal and intestinal pathways can be distinguished. Moreover, the model was verified and the vector effect of microplastics was confirmed by studying the depuration of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in Daphnia magna (D. magna) with different sizes of polystyrene (PS) microplastics. The results showed that microplastics contributed to the elimination kinetics of PCBs because of the fugacity gradient between the ingested microplastics and the biota lipids, especially for the less hydrophobic PCBs. The intestinal elimination pathway via microplastics would promote overall PCB elimination, contributing 37–41 % and 29–35 % to the total flux in the 100 nm and 2 μm polystyrene (PS) microplastic suspensions, respectively. Furthermore, the contribution of microplastic uptake to total HOC elimination increased with decreasing microplastic size in water, suggesting that microplastics may protect organisms from HOC risks. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that the proposed biodynamic model is capable of estimating the dynamic depuration of HOCs for aquatic organisms. The results can shed light on a better understanding of the vector effects of microplastics.

Hydroxylation and dechlorination of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB77) by rat and human CYP1A1s and critical roles of amino acids composing their substrate-binding cavity.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenases play critical roles in determining the toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mammals. Hydroxylation of PCBs by these enzymes leads to increased water solubility, promoting the elimination of PCBs from the body. The CYP1 family is mainly responsible for metabolizing PCBs that exhibit a dioxin-like toxicity. Although the dioxin-like PCB 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB77) is abundant in the environment and accumulates in organisms, information on CB77 metabolism by CYP1A1s is limited. In this study, recombinant rat CYP1A1 metabolized CB77 to 4'-hydroxy (OH)-3,3',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (CB79) and 4'-OH-3,3',4-trichlorobiphenyl (CB35), whereas human CYP1A1 produced only 4'-OH-CB79. Rat CYP1A1 exhibited much higher metabolizing activity than human CYP1A1 because CB77 was stably accommodated in the substrate-binding cavity of rat CYP1A1 and was close to its heme. In a rat CYP1A1 mutant with two human-type amino acids, the production of 4'-OH-CB79 decreased, whereas that of the dechlorinated metabolite 4'-OH-CB35 increased. These results are explained by a shift in the CB77 positions toward the heme. This study provides insight into the development of enzymes with high metabolizing activity and clarifies the structural basis of PCB metabolism, as dechlorination contributes to a drastic decrease in dioxin-like toxicity.

Fate of organic pollutants in sewage sludge during thermal treatments: Elimination of PCBs, PAHs, and PPCPs

The use of biochar and hydrochar, the solid by-product from thermal treatments of biomass, as organic soil fertilizers is becoming increasingly popular. However, few studies have examined the fate of organic pollutants in these organic amendments such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). In this study, we investigated pyrolysis process and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) as promising methods to treat organic pollutants in two raw sludges (stabilized sewage sludge and sludge cake). Biochars (pyrolysis temperatures of 450 °C and 600 °C) and hydrochars (HTC temperature of 180 °C) produced from two raw sludges, and resulting chars were analyzed for the presence of three organic pollutants groups including PCBs, PAHs, PPCPs. During the HTC process, the reduction in concentration of pharmaceuticals was higher than the other groups. Most of these compounds were removed during the pyrolysis process at 450 °C, however; at 600 °C (≥99.9%) all organic pollutants were removed from the produced biochars. These results confirm the usefulness of a pyrolysis process at above 600 °C for the elimination of organic pollutants from biochars to produce chars with little or no organic pollutants as a safe amendment to improve degraded soils.

Advancing Kinetic Modeling for Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Mixtures Relevant to Human Exposures: A Case Study Applying the Keyword Analysis Tool to PCBs Congener-Specific Half-Lives

Toxicity resulting from human exposure to PCBs is highly dependent on the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties of individual PCB congeners. A database of half-life of elimination values for individual congeners was assembled to advance the development of a comprehensive kinetic model for PCB mixtures relevant to human exposures. A novel strategy was employed to identify relevant literature. First, a literature search was conducted using keywords related to PCBs; this generated a database of 58,915 studies. Next, the Keyword Analysis Tool (KAT) was applied to select studies related to PCB congener-specific half-lives across mammalian species. KAT is a software tool designed to increase efficiency in literature screening; it allows users to calculate metrics on the utility of each keyword. By applying keywords related to half-life, elimination, and clearance, KAT identified 5,956 potentially relevant studies from the PCB literature database. A text analytics approach was implemented to further select studies for data extraction. Specifically, sentences from the full text of each study that harbored a keyword were reviewed in conjunction with titles and abstracts to ascertain study relevance. This effort identified 312 studies, 98 of which contained half-life values for 95 PCB congeners across mammalian species. Data from 33 studies identified half-life values for 36 PCB congeners in humans across lifestages, biological matrices, and exposure routes. A retrospective analysis of the KAT search results showed that of 64 keywords used, only 28 were associated with relevant studies, and only 24 keywords would have captured all relevant studies. Additionally, by including keywords relevant to ecological studies, KAT successfully helped prioritize other studies more likely to be relevant to PCB elimination in mammalian species. Thus, KAT identified a highly effective keyword set that can be applied to increase efficiency of future literature searches for chemical half-lives of PCB elimination in humans.

Distribution and Sources of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Air, Dust, and Sediment from India

Persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pose a serious risk for human health and the environment. In this study, PCBs contamination and sources of ambient air, road dust, and sediments in the most polluted city in India, Raipur, has been measured over the period 2008–2015. The seasonal variations of particulate matter (PM), elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and carbonate carbon (CC) were studied, and maximum concentrations were detected in the December–January period each year. Total PCBs concentrations in the ambient air (associated with PM), road dust, and sediments samples during 2008 were in the 186–645 pg m−3, 102–537, and 241–538 ng g−1 range, respectively. 2-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-1) and 4-chlorobiphenyl (PCB-3) were the dominant chemical compounds identified. A substantial vertical migration of the PCBs in the sediments was observed. Concentration variations (spatial and temporal), correlations, and sources of PCB are discussed. In particular, an average increment rate of 6.2%, 4.9%, and 5.4% of PCBs concentration in the particulate matter (PM10), road dust, and sediments, respectively, was observed over the 2008–2015 period. The reported data points to India's low degree of accomplishment of the Stockholm Convention's requirement to phase out the use of PCBs in equipment by 2025 and ensure elimination of PCBs by 2028.

Stereoselective bioaccumulation and elimination of chiral PCBs 95 and 149 in earthworm Eisenia fetida

The chiral signatures and environmental behaviors of chiral polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been extensively studied. However, information regarding chiral PCBs in invertebrates, especially earthworms, is limited. This study aimed to investigate the stereoselective bioaccumulation, elimination, and biotransformation of chiral PCBs 95 and 149 in an earthworm-soil system. Preferential enrichment of (+)-atropisomers and elimination of (−)-atropisomers were observed, for both PCBs 95 and 149, during the uptake and elimination phases, respectively, leading to higher enantiomer fractions (EFs). A significant linear correlation between the total concentrations of chiral PCBs and EF values was found in earthworms. The EF values increased with the increase in exposure time and further increased during the elimination phase, indicating the biotransformation of chiral PCBs. Hydroxylated metabolites of PCB 95 were found in earthworms for the first time, thus verifying the ability of earthworms to metabolize chiral PCBs. However, no methylsulfonyl metabolites were observed for PCBs 95 and 149. These findings might be helpful for understanding the biological processes of chiral PCBs in species at lower trophic levels.

Changes to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) signatures and enantiomer fractions across different tissue types in Guillemots

Two Guillemot carcases were dissected, each providing 12 discrete tissue samples and 3 samples of partially digested food. One hundred and five PCBs from the 209 PCBs determined by GCxGC-ToFMS were detected. The relative proportions of individual PCBs did not vary greatly within tissue types, although the PCB profile from undigested food could be distinguished. Enantiomer fractions (EFs) were determined for CB-95, CB-136 and CB-149 by GC-HRqToFMS. EFs in the partially digested food were near racemic, with high levels of enrichment for E1 CB-95 in the kidneys and liver (EF of 0.80 and 0.84 respectively). This provides some of the clearest evidence to date that fractionation takes place in the organs where metabolic biotransformation and elimination of PCBs occurs. Our findings also confirm the ability of non-lethal sampling techniques, such as collection of small (<1 g) blood samples, to provide PCB signatures that are representative of an individual organism.

Persistent threats need persistent counteraction: Responding to PCB pollution in marine mammals

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a type of persistent organic pollutant (POP) that continues to pose a significant environmental threat to humans and wildlife. Recent scientific evidence shows that very high PCB concentrations are still major causes of contemporary declines in European cetacean populations, and potentially other marine apex predators globally. Currently, controls on PCBs are insufficient, on their own, to fully protect human health or to conserve wildlife. Although the Stockholm Convention provides a global framework to address PCBs, there appears to be a systemic shortfall of many parties of the Convention to provide sufficient prioritisation and resources for effective implementation. A 2015 United Nations Environment Programme assessment estimates that the vast majority of PCB-contaminated equipment and materials, around 14 million tonnes, still requires elimination. At present rates of PCB elimination or mitigation, many countries, including some European countries, will not achieve the 2025 and 2028 targets of the Stockholm Convention. It is imperative that the Conference of the Parties for the Stockholm Convention conclude article 17 negotiations on a compliance mechanism for the Convention as soon as possible. To help mobilise global efforts towards eliminating the threat from PCBs, an enforceable, effective and robust compliance mechanism should be established, along with capacity building support for developing countries. In Europe, renewed action is needed to reduce PCB contamination, in order to prevent some killer whale (Orcinus orca) and other dolphin populations from continuing to slowly decline, potentially towards extinction.

Tracing the Biotransformation of PCBs and PBDEs in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Using Compound-Specific and Enantiomer-Specific Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis.

Compound-specific and enantiomer-specific carbon isotope composition was investigated in terms of biotransformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as well as atropisomers of chiral PCB congeners in fish by exposing common carp (Cyprinus carpio) to certain PCB and PBDE congeners. The calculated carbon isotope enrichment factors (εC) for PCB 8, 18, and 45 were -1.99, -1.84, and -1.70‰, respectively, providing evidence of the metabolism of these congeners in fish. The stable carbon isotopic compositions of PBDE congeners clearly reflect the debromination of PBDEs in carp. Significant isotopic fractionation was also observed during the debromination process of BDE 153 (εC = -0.86‰). Stereoselective elimination of chiral PCB congeners 45, 91, and 95 was observed, indicating a stereoselective biotransformation process. The similar εC values for E1-PCB 45 (-1.63‰) and E2-PCB 45 (-1.74‰) indicated that both atropisomers were metabolized by the same reaction mechanisms and stereoselection did not occur at carbon bond cleavage. However, the εC values of (+)-PCB 91 (-1.5‰) and (-)-PCB 95 (-0.77‰) were significantly different from those of (-)-PCB 91 and (+)-PCB 95, respectively. In the latter, no significant isotopic fractionations were observed, indicating that the stereoselective elimination of PCB 91 and 95 could be caused by a different reaction mechanism in the two atropisomers.

Simultaneous elimination of cyanotoxins and PCBs via mechanical collection of cyanobacterial blooms: An application of “green-bioadsorption concept”

In this study, the distribution, transfer and fate of both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and cyanotoxins via phytoplankton routes were systematically investigated in two Chinese lakes. Results indicated that PCB adsorption/bioaccumulation dynamics has significantly positive correlations with the biomass of green alga and diatoms. Total lipid content of phytoplankton is the major factor that influences PCB adsorption/bioaccumulation. Cyanobacterial blooms with relatively lower lipid content could also absorb high amount of PCBs due to their high cell density in the water columns, and this process was proposed as major route for the transfer of PCBs in Chinese eutrophic freshwater. According to these findings, a novel route on fates of PCBs via phytoplankton and a green bioadsorption concept were proposed and confirmed. In the practice of mechanical collections of bloom biomass from Lake Taihu, cyanotoxin/cyanobacteria and PCBs were found to be removed simultaneously very efficiently followed this theory.

Sex differences in contaminant concentrations of fish: a synthesis.

A comparison of whole-fish polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and total mercury (Hg) concentrations in mature males with those in mature females may provide insights into sex differences in behavior, metabolism, and other physiological processes. In eight species of fish, we observed that males exceeded females in whole-fish PCB concentration by 17 to 43 %. Based on results from hypothesis testing, we concluded that these sex differences were most likely primarily driven by a higher rate of energy expenditure, stemming from higher resting metabolic rate (or standard metabolic rate (SMR)) and higher swimming activity, in males compared with females. A higher rate of energy expenditure led to a higher rate of food consumption, which, in turn, resulted in a higher rate of PCB accumulation. For two fish species, the growth dilution effect also made a substantial contribution to the sex difference in PCB concentrations, although the higher energy expenditure rate for males was still the primary driver. Hg concentration data were available for five of the eight species. For four of these five species, the ratio of PCB concentration in males to PCB concentration in females was substantially greater than the ratio of Hg concentration in males to Hg concentration in females. In sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a very primitive fish, the two ratios were nearly identical. The most plausible explanation for this pattern was that certain androgens, such as testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone, enhanced Hg-elimination rate in males. In contrast, long-term elimination of PCBs is negligible for both sexes. According to this explanation, males not only ingest Hg at a higher rate than females but also eliminate Hg at a higher rate than females, in fish species other than sea lamprey. Male sea lamprey do not possess either of the above-specified androgens. These apparent sex differences in SMRs, activities, and Hg-elimination rates in teleost fishes may also apply, to some degree, to higher vertebrates including humans. Our synthesis findings will be useful in (1) developing sex-specific bioenergetics models for fish, (2) developing sex-specific risk assessment models for exposure of humans and wildlife to contaminants, and (3) refining Hg mass balance models for fish and higher vertebrates.

Determination of PCB Elimination Coefficients in Round Goby and Tubenose Goby.

Whole-body elimination coefficients of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in two Great Lakes invasive fish species, round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris). Elimination rates were determined for a set of model PCB congeners (n=12 congeners) dosed to fish by intraperitoneal injection and allowed to depurate at a temperature of 21.4°C for 90days. Eight PCBs (PCB 6, 21, 57, 62, 68, 89, 112 and 125) exhibited significant elimination by round goby and had corresponding half lives ranging from 13 to 39.8days. For tubenose goby, four congeners (PCBs 21, 57, 62 and 68) exhibited significant elimination with half lives in the range from 18.8 to 48.8days. Whole-body elimination rate coefficients were significantly higher for round gobies compared to tubenose goby. In both cases, PCB elimination rate coefficients were negatively related to chemical log KOW.

Spatial–temporal variation, possible source and ecological risk of PCBs in sediments from Songhua River, China: Effects of PCB elimination policy and reverse management framework

The spatial variation, possible sources and ecological risk of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the sediment from the Songhua River, China were investigated and evaluated in this paper. The total concentration of PCBs ranged from 0.59 to 12.38ng/gdw, with a mean value of 3.82ng/gdw. The seven indicators of PCB concentrations are significantly correlated with the total PCB concentrations (R=0.950, p=0.000). The temporal trend of PCBs in sediments showed that the total PCBs in the Songhua River have decreased since 2008. Point source pollution, discharge of historical usage and industrial sewage, and emissions of unintentionally produced PCBs were the predominant sources in sediment. A risk assessment indicated that most of the sampling sites in the sediment were at low potential ecological risk. The apparent decrease of PCBs in the sediment appeared after the China National Coordination Group for Implementation of the Stockholm Convention was established. A conceptual reverse management framework for PCBs and other organic pollutants was established in this study.

Seasonal influences on PCB retention and biotransformation in fish

There is extensive evidence that fish from waters with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)-contaminated sediments accumulate PCBs and related chemicals and that people who eat fish from contaminated waters have higher body burdens of PCBs and PCB metabolites than those who do not. PCBs and their metabolites are potentially toxic; thus, it is important to human health to understand the uptake, biotransformation, and elimination of PCBs in fish since these processes determine the extent of accumulation. The intestinal uptake of PCBs present in the diet of fish into fish tissues is a process that is influenced by the lipid composition of the diet. Biotransformation of PCBs in fish, as in mammals, facilitates elimination, although many PCB congeners are recalcitrant to biotransformation in fish and mammals. Sequential biotransformation of PCBs by cytochrome P450 and conjugation pathways is even less efficient in fish than in mammalian species, thus contributing to the retention of PCBs in fish tissues. A very important factor influencing overall PCB disposition in fish is water temperature. Seasonal changes in water temperature produce adaptive physiological and biochemical changes in fish. While uptake of PCBs from the diet is similar in fish acclimated to winter or summer temperatures, there is evidence that elimination of PCBs occurs much more slowly when the fish is acclimated at low temperatures than at warmer temperatures. Research to date suggests that the processes of elimination of PCBs are modulated by several factors in fish including seasonal changes in water temperature. Thus, the body burden of PCBs in fish from a contaminated location is likely to vary with season.

Concentration-dependent half-lives of polychlorinated biphenyl in sera from an occupational cohort

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are carcinogenic. Estimating PCB half-life in the body based on levels in sera from exposed workers is complicated by the fact that occupational exposure to PCBs was to commercial PCB products (such as Aroclors 1242 and 1254) comprised of varying mixtures of PCB congeners. Half-lives were estimated using sera donated by 191 capacitor manufacturing plant workers in 1976 during PCB use (1946–1977), and post-exposure (1979, 1983, and 1988). Our aims were to: (1) determine the role of covariates such as gender on the half-life estimates, and (2) compare our results with other published half-life estimates based on exposed workers. All serum PCB levels were adjusted for PCB background levels. A linear spline model with a single knot was used to estimate two separate linear equations for the first two serum draws (Equation A) and the latter two (Equation B). Equation A gave half-life estimates of 1.74years and 6.01years for Aroclor 1242 and Aroclor 1254, respectively. Estimates were 21.83years for Aroclor 1242 and 133.33years for Aroclor 1254 using Equation B. High initial body burden was associated with rapid PCB elimination in workers at or shortly after the time they were occupationally exposed and slowed down considerably when the dose reached background PCB levels. These concentration-dependent half-life estimates had a transition point of 138.57 and 34.78ppb for Aroclor 1242 and 1254, respectively. This result will help in understanding the toxicological and epidemiological impact of exposure to PCBs in humans.

Influence of activated carbon amendment on the accumulation and elimination of PCBs in the earthworm Eisenia fetida

In this study we investigated the use of activated carbon (AC) as a soil amendment for reducing bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Artificial soil was contaminated with PCBs and used in bioaccumulation experiments fresh or after aging for 19 months. PCB bioaccumulation in earthworms was reduced by 68% when AC was placed as a layer without mixing and by 94% when AC was manually mixed into the soil. Aging of the same AC mixed soil for 19 months resulted in an overall reduction of 99% in PCB biouptake. AC-treated aged soil also showed two orders of magnitude lower equilibrium aqueous concentrations of PCBs compared to untreated aged soils. The findings from this study indicate that application of engineered sorbents like AC to PCB impacted soils may greatly reduce PCB uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain.

Aquatic to terrestrial transfer of sediment associated persistent organic pollutants is enhanced by bioamplification processes

Ephemeral emergent insects, such as mayflies (Hexagenia spp.), are commonly used as biomonitors of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and provide a vector for aquatic-terrestrial contaminant transfer. Mayflies bioaccumulate sediment-associated contaminants by bioconcentration and biomagnification during the aquatic stage and concentrate POP residues postemergence due to bioamplification, which occurs as a result of weight and lipid loss without contaminant loss. The present study quantified polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioamplification in male and female emergent mayflies at three sites. Male mayflies used 36 to 68% of their lipids during emergence, with the exception of caged males that were prevented from flight. Females did not lose lipid content between pre-emergent nymph and emerged life stages. Mass balance indicated no PCB elimination between life stages. The mean PCB bioamplification factor, expressed as the ratio of lipid-equivalent PCB concentrations across life stages, was 2.05 ± 0.38 for male imagos/nymphs and 1.91 ± 0.18 for male imago/subimago life stages. For females, bioamplification factors were close to unity. Wildlife consumers of imago stages of emergent mayflies can potentially increase their total daily intake of PCBs by 36% depending on the sex-ratio composition of their diet relative to animals that feed predominantly on nymph or subimago stages during mass emergence events.

Time Course of Congener Uptake and Elimination in Rats after Short-Term Inhalation Exposure to an Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Mixture

Despite the continued presence of PCBs in indoor and ambient air, few studies have investigated the inhalation route of exposure. While dietary exposure has declined, inhalation of the semivolatile, lower-chlorinated PCBs has risen in importance. We measured the uptake, distribution, and time course of elimination of inhaled PCB congeners to characterize the pulmonary route after short-term exposure. Vapor-phase PCBs were generated from Aroclor 1242 to a nose-only exposure system and characterized for congener levels and profiles. Rats were exposed via inhalation acutely (2.4 mg/m3 for 2 h) or subacutely (8.2 mg/m3, 2 hx10 days), after which pulmonary immune responses and PCB tissue levels were measured. Animals acutely exposed were euthanized at 0, 1, 3, 6, and 12 h post exposure to assess the time course of PCB uptake and elimination. Following rapid absorption and distribution, PCBs accumulated in adipose tissue but decayed in other tissues with half-lives increasing in liver (5.6 h)<lung (8.2 h)<brain (8.5 h)<blood (9.7 h). PCB levels were similar in lung, liver, and adipose tissue, lower in brain, and lowest in blood. Inhalation of the airborne PCB mixture contributed significantly to the body burden of lower-chlorinated congeners. Congeners detected in tissue were mostly ortho-substituted ranging from mono- to pentachlorobiphenyls. Selective uptake and elimination led to accumulation of a distinct congener spectrum in tissue. Minimal evidence of toxicity was observed.

Contribution of Fecal Egestion to the Whole Body Elimination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Japanese Koi (Cyprinus carpio)

This research investigated dose-dependent whole body and fecal elimination of 39 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners spanning a range of chemical hydrophobicities (log Kow) by the Japanese koi (Cyprinus carpio). Both whole body (ktot) and fecal (keg) PCB congener elimination rate coefficients were negatively correlated with log Kow and observed to be dose independent. PCB congener ktot values determined for koi were representative of those generated for fish species of similar size and reared at near optimal temperatures. For persistent and metabolized-type PCB congeners, no significant difference was observed between the regressions describing the relationships between ktot and log Kow for these congeners. Individual PCB congener keg coefficient estimates ranged between 1% and 20% of their respective ktot values but averaged only 5% of the magnitude of ktot over a log Kow range of 5.7-7.8. These results verify first-order kinetics of PCB elimination by a fish species and demonstrate that the relative contribution of keg to ktot is negligible, even for highly hydrophobic (log Kow>6.5) compounds. It was concluded that gill elimination is the primary mechanism of elimination for persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs by Japanese koi.

Modelling growth and bioaccumulation of Polychlorinated biphenyls in common sole ( Solea solea)

Experiments were performed on juvenile sole in controlled conditions in the aim of understanding how the biology of common sole may affect the accumulation and dilution of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The fish were raised in optimal conditions and divided into two tanks: one control tank and one PCB tank. 4 PCB congeners were added to food for 3 months in the PCB tank; the soles were subsequently fed unspiked food for 3 months. Growth (length and weight) and PCB concentrations were monitored in both tanks and juvenile sole growth was not significantly affected by PCBs in our experimental conditions. We used the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory to model sole biology and paid special attention to model calibration through the wide use of data from the literature. The model accurately reproduced fish growth in both tanks. We coupled a bioaccumulation model to reproduce the concentration dynamics of the 4 PCB congeners used. This model did not require additional calibration and was dependent solely on the growth model and PCB concentrations in food. The bioaccumulation model accurately simulated PCB accumulation in fish, but overestimated PCB concentrations in fish during the dilution phase. This may suggest that in addition to PCB dilution due to growth, PCB concentrations decreased due to other PCB elimination mechanisms. Finally, we discussed potential improvements to the model and its future applications.