PCB bioaccumulation

In order to examine the roles of both the water column and the sediment bed in PCB bioaccumulation by the mussels, estimate the fugacities (ft) and chemical activities (a relative to the pure liquid chemical reference state) at 25°C for both PCB congeners in the water, in the sediment, and in the mussels. 

Humans, fish, and wildlife are exposed to PCBs from a number of different exposure routes, including respiration, water consumption, food consumption, and dermal contact with contaminated water, soil, etc. However, the dominant exposure route is food consumption, and especially the consumption of fish. This is because PCBs bioaccumulate effectively in fats and lipids [35]. As a result, most PCB congeners (including the most toxic ones) biomagnify in the food web, which means that the higher levels of the food web will have greater concentrations than lower ones (see full discussion in the section on food web dynamics). As a result, adverse effects have been observed in fish-eating animals and birds, and in humans that have consumed fish (occupationally exposed workers are not considered in this discussion). 

Campfens, J. and D. Mackay. 1997. Fugacity-based model of PCB bioaccumulation in complex aquatic food webs. Environ. Sci. Technol. in press. 

Gewurtz, S. B., Gandhi, N., et al (2005) A comparison of the mechanisms controlling PCB bioaccumulation in lakes of different latitudes a modeling approach. lAGLR Conference Program and Abstracts, 48 63-64. 

Vanbavel B, Andersson P, Wingfors H, Ahgren J, Bergqvist PA, et al. Multivariate modeling of PCB bioaccumulation in three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Environ Toxicol Chem 1996 15 947-54. 

Wood, L.W., O Keefe, P. and Bush, B. (1997) Similarity analysis of PAH and PCB bioaccumulation patterns in sediment-exposed Chironomus tentans larvae. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 16, 283-292. 

As previous monitoring sections have demonstrated, PCBs can be found throughout the world. Consequently, this has led to significant levels of PCBs bioaccumulating in aquatic organisms exposed to... 

Endicott D, Kreis RG, Mackelburg L, et al. 1998. ModeUng PCB bioaccumulation by the zebra mussel... 

Stripp BR, Lund J, Mango GW, etal. 1996. Clara cell secretory protein a determinant of PCB bioaccumulation in mammals. Am J Physiol 27LL656-L664. 

Besseling E, Wegner A, Foekema EM, van den Heuvel-Greve MJ, Koehnans AK. Effects of microplastic on fitness and PCB bioaccumulation by the Lugworm ArewicoZa marina (L.). Environ Sci Technol 2013 47 (l) 593-600. 

A number of environmental issues have received widespread publicity (Table 7.1), from major accidents at plants (e.g., Seveso and Bhopal) to the global and regional impacts associated with energy utilization (e.g., carbon dioxide, acid rain, and photochemical oxidants), the improper disposal of chemical waste (e.g., Love Canal and Times Beach), and chemicals that have dispersed and bioaccumulated affecting wildlife (e.g., PCBs and DDT) and human health (e.g., cadmium, mercury, and asbestos). 

Many of the components of PCB and PBB mixtures are both lipophilic and stable, chemically and biochemically. Similar to the persistent organochlorine insecticides and their stable metabolites, they can undergo strong bioconcentration and bioaccumulation to reach relatively high concentrations in predators. 

There have been a nnmber of estimates of bioconcentration factors for total PCBs in aqnatic species following long-term exposure to PCB mixtures (EHC 140). Values for both invertebrates and hsh have been extremely variable, ranging from values below 1 to many thonsands. Bioaccnmnlation factors for birds and mammals for different Aroclors have indicated only limited degrees of bioaccumulation from food, for example, 6.6 and 14.8 for the whole carcasses of big brown bats Eptesicus fuscus) and white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), respectively (see Environmental Health Criteria 140). 

Bioaccumulation factor (BF) of herring gull (Lams argentatus) eggs/Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) relative to PCB no 153 (Norstrom 1988). 

Norstrom, R.J. (1988). Bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in Canadian wildlife. In J.-P. Crine (Ed.) Hazards, Decontamination and Replacement of PCBs. New York Plenum, Press. 

Letcher RJ, RJ Norstrom, DCG Muir (1998) Biotransformation versus bioaccumulation sources of methyl sulfone PCB and 4,4 -DDE metabolites in polar bear food chain. Environ Sci Technol 32 1656-1661. 

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