Bioaccumulation of tetrachlorobiphenyl and hexachlorobiphenyl congeners by Yoldia limatula and Nephtys incisa from bedded sediments: Effects of sediment‐ and animal‐related parameters

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Abstract
Sediments from Narragansett Bay (RI, USA) were fortified with two chlorobiphenyl congeners, 2,4,2′,4′‐tetrachloro‐biphenyl (IUPAC 47) and 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′‐hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC 153), and equilibrated for various times up to 30 d to assess the bioaccumulation potential of sediment‐sorbed polychlorinated biphenyls by the benthic invertebrates Yoldia limatula and Nephtys incisa. Bioaccumulation was investigated at steady state and using a single‐compartment kinetic model over exposure periods of up to 60 d for Nephtys and 30 d for Yoldia. Normalization of exposure and tissue accumulation data to hydrophobic reservoirs yielded accumulation factors (AFs) that fell within model prediction ranges. However, persistent, statistically different values of AFs were obtained from sediments with varying organic carbon contents. Growth of the organisms, feeding strategies, and lipid content were all significant variables in interpreting wet weight steady‐state accumulation. Kinetically determined AF values were not statistically different from those measured at steady state. A role of interstitial water colloidal organic matter in mediating bioaccumulation was strongly suggested by the results.