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Concentration dependence of bis (tributyl)tin oxide accumulation in the mussel, mytilus edulis
Author(s) -
Laughlin Roy B.,
French Willie
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620071209
Subject(s) - mytilus , gill , mussel , adductor muscles , environmental chemistry , bioconcentration , tributyltin , bioaccumulation , mollusca , biology , chemistry , zoology , anatomy , fishery , fish <actinopterygii>
Mussels, Mytilus edulis , were exposed in a daily static renewal protocol to five different [l‒ 14 C] bis (tributyl)tin (TBT) concentrations: 23, 45, 63, 141 or 670 ng L ‒1 . The time course of accumulation in four tissues (gills, viscera, adductor muscle and mantle) was determined for a period of 2 to 7 weeks. The pattern of uptake was strongly concentration‒dependent. In both 23 and 45 ng L ‒1 concentrations, an apparent steady state was reached within two weeks. At exposure concentrations of 63 ng L ‒1 and above, tissue burdens did not reach a steady state within an observation period of six weeks and increased in proportion to exposure concentration. TBT concentrations in tissues were ranked as follows: gills » viscera > adductor muscle ≈ mantle, with gill concentrations consistently dominating those in other tissues throughout exposure. Bioconcentration factors for TBT in mussels were greater (estimated to be in the range of 1,500 to 7,300) than would be predicted from the K ow value. These studies suggest that M. edulis would be a potentially useful sentinel organism for TBT above a threshold concentration in the marine environment. This threshold appears to be near a value that distinguishes areas receiving direct inputs of antifouling paints from those that do not.