title: Differential accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in the aquatic food web at the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, Michigan.
abstract: A series of field studies were conducted to gain a better understanding of the bioaccumulation and dynamics of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in the aquatic food web of the Kalamazoo River flood plain. Representative species of passerine birds, mammals, fish, aquatic plants, invertebrates, and colocated sediments were collected from areas located within submerged portions of the former Trowbridge impoundment and also from areas located at an upstream reference location. In most matrixes, total concentrations of PCBs were significantly greater in the downstream study area compared to the upstream reference location. Patterns of PCB congeners varied among trophic levels due to selective bioaccumulation of more chlorinated congeners in upper trophic level organisms. There were no statistically significant differences in total PCB concentrations among sampling grids within either site or temporally among three sampling seasons between May and September. The greatest total PCB concentrations were detected in adult tree swallows (mean = 8.7 mg/kg wet weight (ww)) and fish (mean = 4.4 mg/ kg ww) collected from the former Trowbridge impoundment. Concentrations of total 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs) were greatest in egg, nestling, and adult tree swallows collected from the former Trowbridge impoundment. There was not a significant correlation between concentrations of total PCBs and TEQs at either site in the mammalian or avian food webs. The relative potency of the mixture of PCBs, expressed as the ratio of TEQs to total PCBs, increased with trophic position in the avian and mammalian aquatic food webs located within the former Trowbridge impoundment.
authors.affiliation: ENTRIX, Inc., 4295 Okemos Road, Suite 101, Okemos, Michigan 48864, USA.
authors.forename: Denise P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Blankenship
authors.forename: Katherine K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Coady
authors.forename: Arianne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Neigh
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zwiernik
authors.forename: Stephanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Millsap
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strause
authors.forename: Cyrus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Newsted
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Giesy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005399:Fishes; D020387:Food Chain; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D007448:Invertebrates; D008322:Mammals; D008824:Michigan; D046109:Passeriformes; D010944:Plants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D045483:Rivers; D012621:Seasons; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls