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USING 'GLASS FISH' SPMDS TO MEASURE PAH BIOAVAILABILITY
Citation:
Ryba, S, R M. Burgess, M Cantwell, M. M. Perron, AND L. M. Thibideau. USING 'GLASS FISH' SPMDS TO MEASURE PAH BIOAVAILABILITY. Presented at North Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Portland, ME, Apri 24-26, 2002.
Description:
Measuring contaminant bioavailablity represents a major challenge to environmental toxicologists and chemists. For a decade, semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) have been used to quantify the bioavailability of a variety of organic pollutants to aquatic organisms in the field. Field-based SPMDs consist of a polyethylene tube containing a lipid like triolein or iso-octane. The SPMD is deployed in the environment and the accumulation of organic contaminants in the lipid related to bioaccumulation by organisms. In this study, we used SPMD technology in a laboratory setting to measure PAH bioavailability. Our modified SPMD ?glass fish' were constructed of small borosilicate glass vials filled with iso-octane and capped with a polyethylene membrane. PAHs were of particular interest because they originate primarily from two sources: petrogenic and pyrogenic. Petrogenic PAHs include creosote, fuel oil and crude oil while pyrogenic PAHs include diesel soot, tire rubber and coal dust. Recent evidence suggests the bioavailability of the two types of PAH sources differ. Because of the complexities of interpreting PAH bioavailability in the field, regular SPMDs would not directly demonstrate source. Consequently, we performed our studies using a simple exposure system in the laboratory with pure pyrogenic and petrogenic source materials. Petrogenic PAHs were readily accumulated by the glass fish while pyrogenic PAHs were far less bioavailable. These data support the findings of field studies which suggested unusual PAH bioaccumulation resulted from differences in source. Further, this study shows glass fish are useful tools for measuring bioavailability.