Date of Award

2004

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.Sc.

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Environmental Sciences.

Supervisor

Drouillard, K.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Accurate water concentration estimates are a modeling parameter that has been elusive. The need for time integrated estimates of the bioavailable fractions of persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances has been difficult to approximate due to the lack of reliable sampling techniques. This thesis examined the utilization of mussels as quantitative biomonitors of polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in water. A species of freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata was calibrated to determine polychlorinated biphenyl elimination rates under both laboratory and field conditions. Elimination rate constants for non-Aroclor PCBs were investigated and compared with a previously published relationship for Aroclor PCBs in the same species. The investigation found that mussels allowed to depurate under an array of environmental conditions and deployment times exhibited similar elimination kinetics. ( k2 = -0.59(+/-0.05)·LogKow + 2.05(+/-0.28) (O'Rourke et al. 2004); k2 = -0.44(+/-0.10)·LogKow +1.3(+/-0.67) (Laboratory depuration study)). Sensitivity analysis indicated that the expected error associated with the steady state correction term would be less than 3 and 2 fold for PCBs with log Kow >7 when biomonitors are deployed for periods of 60 and 90 d, respectively. This indicates that errors associated with toxicokinetic parameters as determined under laboratory conditions are small and should contribute little error in the extrapolation of chemical residues measured in the biomonitor to ambient environmental concentrations. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 0808. Adviser: Ken Drouillard. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004.

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