US EPA

5133891 

Journal Article 

The fate of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in an intertidal sediment exposure system: Bioavailability to Macoma inquinata (Mollusca: Pelecypoda) and Abarenicola pacifica (Annelida: Polychaeta) 

Augenfeld, JM; Anderson, JW; Riley, RG; Thomas, BL 

1982 

1 

Marine Environmental Research
ISSN: 0141-1136 

7 

1 

31-50 

English 

10.1016/0141-1136(82)90049-6 

HEEP COPYRIGHT: BIOL ABS. M. inquinata, a detritus feeding clam, was exposed for 60 days to coarse-grained, and A. pacifica, a burrowing polychaete, to fine-grained sediment. Each sediment contained 14C-phenanthrene, chrysene or benzo(a)pyrene. Over 70% of the chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene but only 8% of the phenanthrene remained in the coarse sediment during the exposure. Essentially all of the chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene and 70% of the phenanthrene remained in the fine sediment. The concentrations of chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene in the clams rose steadily, reaching levels 11.6 and 5.2 times as high as those in the sediment. The tissue phenanthrene concentration rose for 3 days, then fell to 1/8 of the initial concentration. The concentrations of each of the aromatic hydrocarbons in Abarenicola tissue increased for 2 wk to 4-6 times the sediment levels. The tissue concentration of chrysene remained constant thereafter, but the levels of phenanthrene and benzo(a)pyrene fell to 3/4 of their peak values. No intermediate degradation products of any hydrocarbon were identified in extracts of sediment from either exposure system, or in solvent extracts of tissue or of tissue digestates. Significant 14C-activity associated with nonsolvent extractable compounds, remained in tissue digestates of individuals of both species exposed to phenanthrene.