Abstract
Contaminated sediments that are not acutely toxic to aquatic organisms but contain bioaccumulable toxic substances present a common, yet poorly understood problem for regulatory decision makers. In order to recommend options to minimize bioaccumulation of these toxic substances, decision-makers need estimates of 1. which substances are available for accumulation by aquatic organisms; and 2. the potential impacts of such accumulation. The most direct and meaningful approach to estimating bioavailability is measurement of contaminant uptake by aquatic organisms exposed to the sediments of concern. Reasonably reliable methodologies exist for performing such exposures in the laboratory and in situ using marine or freshwater organisms. Such methods can demonstrate short-term potential for bioaccumulation of toxics from the sediments, but not necessarily the biological significance or long-term impact of any accumulated residues in the organisms and transfer of those residues through the food chain. Since most contaminated sediments contain a mixture of toxic substances, determination of the biological significance of their accumulation is not likely in the near future. Thus, the direct measurement of significant bioaccumulation of toxic substances from the sediments remains the most immediately useful index in a decision-making process.
Contribution Number 631 of the National Fisheries Center-Great Lakes
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Dillon, T. M., 1984. Biological Consequences of Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Animals: An Assessment of the Current Literature. U.S. Army Engineer, Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39180. Tech. Rep. D-84-2, 69 pp.
Environmental Protection Agency/Corps of Engineers Technical Committee on Criteria for Dredged and Fill Material, 1977. (Second Printing 1978 ). Ecological Evaluation of Proposed Discharge of Dredged Material into Ocean Waters: Implementation Manual for Section 103 of Public Law 92-532. U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180. 19 pp. and 8 appendices.
Hesselberg, R. J. & J. G. Seelye, 1982. Identification of Organic Compounds in Great Lakes Fishes by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry: 1977. Admin. Rep. No. 82-1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Lakes Fishery Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 49 pp.
Konasewich, D., W. Traversy & H. Zar, 1978. Status Report on Organic and Heavy Metal Contaminants in the Lake Erie, Michigan, Huron, and Superior Basins. Great Lakes Water Quality - Appendix E, International Joint Commission, Windsor, Ontario. 373 pp.
Mac, M. J., C. C. Edsall, R. J. Hesselberg & R. E. Sayers, Jr., 1984. A Flow-Through Bioassay For Measuring Bioaccumu-lation of Toxic Substances From Sediment. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office, Chicago, Illinois, Tech. Rep. EPA-905/3-84-007. 17 pp.
Seelye, J. G. & M. J. Mac, 1984. Bioaccumulation of Toxic Substances Associated with Dredging and Dredged Material Disposal: A Literature Review. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office, Chicago, Illinois. Tech. Rep. EPA-905/3-84-005, 45 pp.
Seelye, J. G., R. J. Hesselberg & M. J. Mac, 1982. Accumulation by fish of contaminants released from dredged sediments. Envir. Sci. Technol. 16: 459–463.
Willford, W. A., R. J. Hesselberg & L. W. Nicholson, 1976. Trends of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Three Lake Michigan Fishes. In Proceedings of the National Conference on Poly¬chlorinated Biphenyls, Chicago, Illinois, Tech. Rep. EPA-560/6-75-004, pp. 177–181.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1987 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Willford, W.A., Mac, M.J., Hesselberg, R.J. (1987). Assessing the bioaccumulation of contaminants from sediments by fish and other aquatic organisms. In: Thomas, R.L., Evans, R., Hamilton, A.L., Munawar, M., Reynoldson, T.B., Sadar, M.H. (eds) Ecological Effects of In Situ Sediment Contaminants. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4053-6_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4053-6_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8299-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4053-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive