Plasma-associated halogenated phenolic contaminants in benthic and pelagic fish species from the Detroit River

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2003

Publication Title

Environmental Science and Technology

Volume

37

Issue

5

First Page

832

Last Page

839

Abstract

Halogenated phenolic contaminants (HPCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorine (OC) contaminants (DDTs, chlordanes, HCH, and octachlorostyrene (OCS)) were determined (ng/g, wet wt. basis) in the blood plasma of 6 piscivorous/pelagic- and 7 benthicfeeding fish species from the Detroit River. Seven to twelve hydroxylated (OH) PCB congeners with pentachloro- to nonachloro-substitution, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 4-OH-heptachlorostyrene (4-OH-HpCS), as well as a number of other unidentified HPCs, were detected in all the fish species studied. The concentrations of Σ-OH-PCB (0.57-129.5 ng/ g), 4-OH-HpCS (0.02-0.31 ng/g), and PCP (0.05-3.42 ng/ g) in comparison to other major polychlorinated contaminants (Σ-PCB (10.4-909.0 ng/g), Σ-chlordane (0.72-8.68 ng/g), Σ-DDT (2.10-66.57 ng/g), and Σ-HCH (0.04-0.84 ng/g)) demonstrate the importance of HPCs, especially OH-PCBs, as plasma-associated contaminants. OH-PCBs are most likely metabolites of PCBs, and 4-OH-HpCS is a likely metabolite of OCS. Our findings indicate that metabolic biotransformation is a factor in the bioaccumulation, pharmacokinetics, and fate of OCS and highly chlorinated PCB congeners that are generally more recalcitrant in fish. Target tissue exposure to circulating OH-PCBs was variable, and thus potential OH-PCB-mediated toxicological activity and effects (e.g., endocrine-related) and health risks are different among the fish species.

DOI

10.1021/es026215l

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