MP11 Advances in Bioaccumulation Assessment
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(GHO-1126-553855) PCB bioavailability control in Lumbriculus variegatus under different modes of activated carbon addition to sediments.

Sun, X¹, Ghosh, U¹, ¹ University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

ABSTRACT- This research investigated the effect of activated carbon addition to river sediments on PCB bioaccumulation by the freshwater oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. The sediments from a PCB-impacted river were treated with 2.6% activated carbon. The results showed that PCB bioaccumulation in L. variegatus exposed to treated sediments was greatly reduced. For the sediments treated with granular activated carbon and mixed for 2 minutes prior to worm addition, the reduction in total PCB biouptake was 74% for 50-200 mesh TOG carbon, and 94% for the 80-325 mesh TOG carbon, respectively, which indicated that there was an immediate effect of PCB bioavailability reduction upon the addition and short-term mixing of GAC into sediments. The finer grain size activated carbon, with more easily accessible sorption sites, was much more effective in reducing PCB bioaccumulation in the L. variegatus. For the case where the GAC was placed as a thin layer on top of the sediments, the reduction in total PCB uptake was 72%. Although the total PCB biouptake reduction with the layer placement was similar to the case where the same dose and type of carbon was mixed in, the percent reductions of the different PCB homolog groups were different.

Key words: bioaccumulation