The role of fish as vectors for organic chemical contaminants arising from the operation of a coal-fired power plant was assessed by in vivo studies of the fate of selected chemicals and in vitro studies of liver xenobiotic biotransformation enzymes. The results indicate that selected organic chemicals which could be released by a power plant into the aquatic environment, will be taken up by fish and depending upon the particular chemical, will be accumulated to varying extents as parent chemical and biotransformation products. Humans who might consume such fish may be exposed to those chemicals at varying concentrations depending on the water levels of the chemicals. The high concentrations of metabolites of certain chemicals in fish bile make sampling of fish bile a possible monitoring tool.

Caption title. At head of title: EPA Environmental research brief. Distributed to depository libraries in microfiche. "Jan. 1984." Includes bibliographical references. "EPA/600-D-84-001."