US EPA

2176213 

Journal Article 

Isolation and identification of a polar metabolite of tetrachlorobiphenyl from bile of rainbow-trout exposed to 14C-tetrachlorobiphenyl 

Melancon, MJ; Lech, JJ 

1976 

Yes 

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
ISSN: 0007-4861
EISSN: 1432-0800 

NIOSH/00082141 

15 

2 

181-188 

English 

814940 

WOS:A1976BH72300009 

Because it was suggested that examination of trout bile following polychlorinated-biphenyl (1336363) (PCB) exposure might be a logical source of possible PCB metabolites, rainbow-trout were exposed to aqueous 14C-tetrachlorobiphenyl (50317) (TCB) with subsequent examination of bile for metabolites. Rainbow-trout were maintained in flowing dechlorinated tap water at 12 degrees-C for at least 1 week before use. Trout were exposed for 24 hr at 12 degrees-C to 0.5ppm of 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (35693993) plus unlabeled 2,5,2',5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl at a specific activity of 8000 dpm/microgram. After glucuronidase hydrolysis, the trimethylsilyl-(TSB)-ether of one of the compounds matched the TMS-ether of hydroxy-TCB during gas chromatography. Although the extent of TCB metabolism by rainbow-trout and also by sunfish appears to be slight, even this low level of metabolism could be important in view of the high concentration of PCBs found in various fish species and the possibility of significant amounts of hydroxy PCBs being released into the environment from the large fish biomass. Work is continuing on the appearance of PCB metabolites in fish tissue to determine whether such metabolites arise from metabolism by fish per se or by microorganisms in the water or intestinal tract.