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Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in field‐contaminated Anacostia River (Washington, DC) sediment
Author(s) -
Lu Xiaoxia,
Reible Danny D.,
Fleeger John W.
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1897/05-696r.1
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , sediment , bioavailability , environmental science , contamination , chemistry , geology , ecology , biology , pharmacology , geomorphology
Sediment–water partitioning behavior and bioavailability of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, benzo[ k ]fluoranthene, and benzo[ a ]pyrene) were measured in field‐contaminated sediment collected from moderately polluted regions of the Anacostia River (Washington, DC, USA). Much of the sediment PAH burden was resistant to desorption: Effective partition coefficients were 2‐ to 10‐fold greater than expected from literature values, and more than 80% of PAHs remained sorbed after treatment of the sediment with a nonionic polymeric adsorbent (Amberlite XAD‐2) for 20 h. Bioaccumulation, elimination, and assimilation of each PAH in the deposit‐feeding tubificid oligochaete Ilyodrilus templetoni were measured and compared with the equivalent measurements from laboratory‐inoculated sediment. Ilyodrilus templetoni effectively accessed the desorption‐resistant fraction of these organic contaminants, as exhibited by high single‐gut passage assimilation efficiencies (ASEs) of the five PAHs (60% < ASE < 90%). However, steady‐state accumulations of PAHs by I. templetoni were very low and consistent with low pore‐water concentrations. The present results suggest that steady‐state accumulation of PAHs is controlled by pore‐water concentrations and is not necessarily related to route of uptake or assimilation efficiencies.