Prediction of the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in aquatic food webs.
Predictive correlations of the bioaccumulation factor of persistent organic pollutants in aquatic biota are presented as functions of their octanol/water partition coefficient. The correlations demonstrate the importance of differentiating among the different levels in the food web and of accounting for the pollutant's bioavailability by considering the amount freely dissolved in water instead of the total concentration. They also reveal the significance of the pollutant's octanol/water partition coefficient value on its biomagnification along the levels of the trophic chain. Prediction results, finally, demonstrate that the correlations provide reasonably accurate estimates of bioaccumulation, typically within an order-of-magnitude.
Thermodynamics and Transport Phenomena Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Section II, National Technical University of Athens, 9, Heroon Polytechniou Street, Zografos GR-15780, Athens, Greece. evoutsas@chemeng.ntua.gr
Epaminondas
E
Voutsas
Kostis
K
Magoulas
Dimitrios
D
Tassios
D000818:Animals; D020387:Food Chain; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical