US EPA

58136 

Journal Article 

Measuring and estimating the bioconcentration factor of chemicals in fish 

Veith, GD; DeFoe, DL; Bergstedt, BV 

1979 

Yes 

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
ISSN: 0015-296X 

36 

9 

1040-1048 

English 

10.1139/f79-146 

WOS:A1979HM05000003 

is supplemented by 3421473 : Supplemental materials

A method of estimating the bioconcentration factor of organic chemicals in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) is described. Water at 25 °C was intermittently dosed with the chemical at a nontoxic concentration in a flow-through aquarium. Thirty minnows are placed in the aquarium, and composite samples of five fish are removed for analysis after 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 d of exposure. The bioconcentration process is summarized by using the first-order uptake model, and the steady-state bioconcentration factor is calculated from the 32-d exposure. A structure-activity correlation between the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the n-octanol/water partition coefficient (P) of individual chemicals is summarized by the equation log BCF = 0.85 log P − 0.70, which permits the estimation of the bioconcentration factor of chemicals to within 60% before laboratory testing. The facilities and resources for testing need be used only for those chemicals that are likely to result in substantial bioconcentration in organisms. The bioconcentration factors derived from tests of mixtures of chemicals are shown to be the same as those derived from tests with the chemicals individually. 

bioconcentration factor; bioaccumulation; structure-activity; bioassay