TitleLegacy pollutant levels in crayfish compared to passive sampling devices: Determination of correlations and development of bioaccumulation models
Publication TypePoster
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsForsberg ND, Sower GJ, Smith BW, Anderson KA
Conference/Meeting/VenueSETAC North American 33rd Annual National Conference
Date Published11/2012
Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic compounds that continue to drive risk management efforts. In order to characterize exposure pathways and assess human health risks associated with consumption of contaminated resident fish, regulatory agencies conventionally analyze homogenized fish tissue samples for PAHs and PCBs. However, obtaining fish for analysis is challenging, the analysis is destructive, and the analysis offers limited spatial and temporal information due in part to biological and physiological variability. For these reasons, an alternative tool capable of accurately predicting fish tissue contaminant levels would be useful to regulatory agencies and risk managers.

Passive sampling devices (PSDs) sample the bioavailable fraction of chemicals, are readily available in large numbers, provide a non-destructive sampling method, yield simpler chemicals analyses, and are capable of identifying spatial and temporal contamination patterns. We hypothesize that PSDs are capable of providing site-independent predictions of chemical load in aquatic tissues with useful accuracy. To test this, PSDs were deployed in the water column at 8 different sites within and outside of the Portland Harbor Superfund Megasite for 24 days. Simultaneously, nearly 100 resident crayfish were collected. Sites selected for PSD and crayfish sampling represented a wide range of PAH and PCB concentrations. PSDs and crayfish were then analyzed for 16 priority pollutant PAHs and 32 dioxin and non-dioxin like PCB congeners using a novel analytical method. Presented results will include regression analyses on total contaminant loads (ΣPAH + PCBs), chemical class specific loads (ΣPAHs, ΣPCBs), and individual contaminant of concern loads. Additionally, we will determine PSD-crayfish specific bioaccumulation factors (BAFPSD-CF) for a wide suite of contaminants of concern. PAH and PCB PSD loads will subsequently be used as surrogates for crayfish and used to generate human health risk estimates. Estimates will then be compared to risk results reported in the Portland Harbor Public health assessment for consumption of impacted resident crayfish. Results from this study will help identify novel PSD applications that could provide useful information to regulators and risk managers.