Abstract
The uptake, distribution and excretion of the xenobiotics (14C) 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (6-CB) and (9-14C)phenanthrene in the flounder Platichthys flesus after a single intragastric administration was studied by liquid scintillation counting and whole-body autoradiography. The flounders were collected in October 1981 from a coastal area near Bergen, Norway. The initial distribution patterns of the two lipophilic components were similar, whereas a large difference in the rate of elimination was demonstrated. The 6-CB-derived radioactivity remained much longer in the tissues than that of phenanthrene. An accumulation of the two components in lipid-rich tissues was clearly illustrated in the autoradiograms. High concentrations were also found in melanin-rich tissues such as skin and the uveal tract of the eye. A relatively high concentration of phenanthrene was found in the lens of the eye. Much more 6-CB-derived radioactivity was observed in the female gonads than in those of the male, suggesting the former to be an important means of excretion of this compound in female flounders during spawning. The residual levels of 6-CB-derived radioactivity 1 yr after administration were about 10% of those measured after 10 wk. Flounders showed low biodegradability of 6-CB.
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Communicated by O. Kinne, Oldendorf/Luhe
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Solbakken, J.E., Ingebrigtsen, K. & Palmork, K.H. Comparative study on the fate of the polychlorinated biphenyl 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in flounder (Platichthys flesus), determined by liquid scintillation counting and autoradiography. Mar. Biol. 83, 239–246 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397455
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397455