Chemical Interactions with Organisms in the Hydrosphere

Bioconcentration may be expressed by bioconcentration factors it is defined as follows  

Concentration of xenobiotic in lipid Concentration of xenobiotic in water 

FIGURE 3.16 Illustration of the distribution of a hydrophobic xenobiotic between sediment, solution in water, and lipid tissue in a water-dweUing organism the weights of the vertical arrows reflect the relative solubilities of a hydrophobic xenobiotic in sediment, aqueous solution, and lipid tissue, showing preference for 

Typical bioconcentration factors for highly lipid-soluble PCBs and hexachlorobenzene in sun-fish, trout, and minnows range from somewhat more than 1,000 to around 50,000. 

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