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Dietary absorption of sediment‐bound fluoranthene by a deposit‐feeding gastropod using the 14 C: 51 Cr dual‐labeling method
Author(s) -
Forbes Valery E.,
Forbes Thomas L.
Publication year - 1997
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.5620160520
Subject(s) - fluoranthene , ingestion , environmental chemistry , sediment , absorption (acoustics) , chemistry , biology , phenanthrene , biochemistry , materials science , paleontology , composite material
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) constitute a broad class of toxic, environmentally persistent, particle‐reactive organic compounds that are ubiquitous in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This study was designed to measure ingestion and dietary absorption of the PAH, fluoranthene, by two genotypes of a deposit‐feeding gastropod using the 14 C: 51 Cr dual‐labeling method. Sediment processing rate, fluoranthene ingestion rate, selective ingestion of fluoranthene‐containing particles, and fluoranthene absorption rate varied as a function of snail body size and genotype. Absorption efficiency of sediment‐bound fluoranthene did not vary as a function of body size but differed between genotypes, averaging 42 to 46% for Clone A and 22 to 36% for Clone B. We could detect no significant metabolism of ingested fluoranthene to dissolved organic carbon or CO 2 during 24 h following its ingestion. The 14 C: 51 Cr dual‐labeling method provides a powerful approach for investigating the dietary absorption of sediment‐bound contaminants by (1) allowing the calculation of ingestion selectivity, sediment processing rate, contaminant ingestion rate, and absorption efficiency in individual, small invertebrates; (2) permitting estimation of the fraction of ingested/absorbed contaminant that is metabolized and released via different routes following its ingestion; and (3) facilitating evaluation of the relative importance of porewater versus ingested sediment as routes of contaminant uptake by animals.