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Comparison of nonplanar and coplanar PCB congener partitioning in seawater and bioaccumulation in blue mussels ( Mytilus edulis )
Author(s) -
Bergen Barbara J.,
Nelson William G.,
Pruell Richard J.
Publication year - 1996
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.5620150913
Subject(s) - congener , bioaccumulation , mytilus , bioconcentration , environmental chemistry , polychlorinated biphenyl , seawater , chemistry , partition coefficient , persistent organic pollutant , bivalvia , chromatography , ecology , pollutant , mollusca , biology , organic chemistry
Abstract The partitioning of 18 nonplanar and three coplanar (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry [IUPAC] numbers 77, 126, and 169) polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners was quantified in New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, USA. Concurrently, bioaccumulation of these congeners was measured in blue mussels deployed for 7 and 28 d in New Bedford Harbor, and bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were calculated for each congener. The PCB concentrations measured in the dissolved and particulate fractions of seawater samples were used to calculate partition coefficients ( K p ) for each congener. These values were correlated with reported octanol/water partition coefficients ( K ow ). No significant differences ( p > 0.05) were observed in the relationships between K p and K ow for the coplanar congeners relative to the nonplanar congeners. Coplanar congeners reached steady state faster than the nonplanar congeners; however, after 28 d a similar relationship was observed between BCF and K ow in coplanar and nonplanar congeners. These data indicate that coplanar PCBs partition in seawater and accumulate in mussels similarly to nonplanar PCBs with the same number of chlorines.