PH11 Bioaccumulation and Biotransformation of POPs
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Thursday, 13 November 2003
(PH110) PCB Distributions in the Primary Foodweb of Morphologically Distinct Freshwater Systems.
Hagen, Harold1, Paterson, Gord1, Drouillard, Ken1, 2, Haffner, Douglass1, 2, 3, 1 Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P42 Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P43 Canada Research Chair (Great Lakes), Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4
ABSTRACT- This research investigated the importance of lake depth and thermal structure on POP distributions within primary foodwebs of several morphologically distinct Southern Ontario freshwater lakes. Benthic invertebrate, plankton, sediment and water chemistry samples were collected during open water periods of 2002 to 2003 to develop seasonal POP distributions. Mussels (Elliptio complanata) were deployed in containment cages as biomonitors of POP residues in the water column. The mussel biomonitors were deployed at surface waters and 1 m above sediments for each system. Deeper systems experienced reduced sedimentation of lower chlorinated congeners compared to shallow systems, possibly due to increased microbial mineralization of settled organic matter. Differences in chemical activity between benthic and pelagic components were compared by determining biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) for benthic invertebrates, sediment/plankton fugacity ratios, and mussel biomonitor/sediment fugacity ratios. The data indicate that non-equilibrium conditions exist between sediment, water and plankton and that PCB uptake by plankton is diluted during high periods of primary productivity.
Key words: BSAF, PCBs, mussel biomonitors, bioconcentration