Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Associations Between Dioxins/Furans and Dioxin-Like PCBs in Estuarine Sediment and Blue Crab

  • Published:
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between the quantity, toxicity, and compositional profile of dioxin/furan compounds (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in estuarine sediment and in the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus). Sediment and blue crab samples were collected in three small urban estuaries that are in relatively close proximity to each other. Results show that differences between PCDD/F and DL-PCB mass concentrations and total toxic equivalents (TEQ) toxicity in sediments of the three estuaries are reflected in those of the blue crab. TEQs are higher in the hepatopancreas of the crabs than in the sediment, but the concentration factor is inversely proportional to the TEQ in the sediments. Congener profiles in the crabs are systematically different from those in the sediments, and the difference is more pronounced for PCDD/Fs than for DL-PCBs, possibly due to differences in metabolization rates. Compared with sediment profiles, more lesser-chlorinated PCDD/Fs that have higher TEFs accumulate in crab hepatopancreas. This selective bioaccumulation of PCDD/Fs results in a TEQ augmentation in crab hepatopancreas compared with sediments. The bioaccumulation in the blue crab is also selective for PCDD/Fs over DL-PCBs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ATSDR (1998). Toxicological profile for chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

  • ATSDR (2000). Toxicological profile for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

  • Birch, G., Harrington, C., Symons, R., & Hunt, J. (2007). The source and distribution of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in sediments of Port Jackson, Australia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54, 295–308.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bodin, N., Abarnou, A., Fraisse, D., Defour, S., Loizeau, V., Le Guellec, A.-M., et al. (2007). PCB, PCDD/F and PBDE levels and profiles in crustaceans from the coastal waters of Brittany and Normandy (France). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54, 657–668.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonn, B. (1998). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran concentration profiles in sediment and fish tissue of the Willamette Basin, Oregon. Environmental Science and Technology, 32(6), 729–735.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bright, D., Dushenko, W., Grundu, S., & Reimer, K. (1995). Effects of local and distant contaminant sources: polychlorinated biphenyls and other organochlorines in bottom-dwelling animals from an Arctic estuary. Science of the Total Environment, 160–161, 265–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunger, M., Moran, S., Glover, E., Thomae, T., Lahvis, G., Lin, B., et al. (2003). Resistance to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity and abnormal liver development in mice carrying a mutation in the nuclear localization sequence of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(20), 17767–17774.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dean, K., Suarez, M., Rifai, H., Palachek, R., & Koenig, L. (2009). Bioaccumulation of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans in catfish and crabs along an estuarine salinity and contamination gradient. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 28, 2307–2317.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, E., Drake, D., & Farlow, R. (1999). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran congener profiles in fish, crayfish, and sediment collected near a wood treating facility and a bleached kraft pulp mill. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 62, 239–246.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frame, G., Cochran, J., & Bowadt, S. (1996). Complete PCB congener distributions for 17 Aroclor mixtures determined by 3 HRGC systems optimized for comprehensive, quantitative, congener-specific analysis. Journal of High Resolution Chromatography, 19, 657–668.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gobas, F. (1990). Bioaccumulation of some polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and octachlorodibenzofuran in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Chemosphere, 20(5), 495–512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howell, N., Suarez, M., Rifai, H., & Koenig, L. (2008). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water, sediment, and aquatic biota in the Houston Ship Channel, Texas. Chemosphere, 70, 593–606.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iannuzzi, T., Armstrong, T., Thelen, J., & Ludwig, D. (2004). Chemical contamination of aquatic organisms from an urbanized river in the New York/New Jersey Harbor estuary. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 10, 389–413.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IARC (1997). Polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. V. 69. Lyon, France. 666 pp. Available at: http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/crthgr01.php

  • Jimenez, B., Hernandez, L., Gonzalez, M., Eljarrat, E., Rivera, J., & Fossi, M. (1998). Congener specific analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in crabs and sediments from the Venice and Orbetello Lagoons, Italy. Environmental Science & Technology, 32(24), 3853–3861.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, G., Hansen, L., Hamilton, M., Fowler, B., & Hermanson, M. (2007). PCB, PCDD and PCDF congener profiles in two types of Aroclor 1254. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, 25(2), 156–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karouna-Renier, N., Snyder, R., Allison, J., Wagner, M., & Rao, K. R. (2007). Accumulation of organic and inorganic contaminants in shellfish collected in estuarine waters near Pensacola, Florida: contamination profiles and risks to human consumers. Environmental Pollution, 145, 474–488.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lake, J. L., McKinney, R., Lake, C. A., Osterman, F. A., & Heltsche, J. (1995). Comparison of patterns of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in water, sediment, and indigenous organisms from New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 29, 207–220.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Landi, M., Consonni, D., Patterson, D., Jr., Needham, L., Lucier, G., Brambilla, P., et al. (1998). 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin plasma levels in Seveso 20 years after the accident. Environmental Health Perspectives, 106(5), 273–277.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laughlin, R. (1982). Feeding habits of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, in the Apalachicola Estuary, Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science, 32(4), 807–822.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, M., Quarles, R. L., Dantin, D. D., & Moore, J. C. (2004). Evaluation of a Florida coastal golf complex as a local and watershed source of bioavailable contaminants. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 48, 254–262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liebens, J., Mohrherr, C., Rao, K. R., & Houser, C. (2006). Pollution in an urban bayou: magnitude, spatial distribution and origin. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 174, 235–263.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liebens, J., Mohrherr, C., & Rao, K. R. (2007). Sediment pollution pathways in a small industrialized estuary: Bayou Chico, Pensacola, Florida. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 54, 1529–1539.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lundebye, A., Berntssen, M., Lie, O., Ritchie, G., Isosaari, P., Kiviranta, H., et al. (2004). Dietary uptake of dioxins (PCDD/PCDFs) and dioxin-like PCBs in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Aquaculture Nutrition, 10, 199–207.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Micheletti, C., Critto, A., & Marcomini, A. (2007). Assessment of ecological risk from bioaccumulation of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in a coastal lagoon. Environment International, 33(1), 45–55.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Micheletti, C., Lovato, T., Critto, A., Pastres, R., & Marcomini, A. (2008). Spatially distributed ecological risk for fish of a coastal food web exposed to dioxins. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 27(5), 1217–1225.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohrherr, C., Liebens, J., and Rao, K.R. (2006) Sediment and water pollution in Bayou Chico, Pensacola, FL. University of West Florida, Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, p 183.

  • Peré-Trepat, E., Olivella, L., Ginebreda, A., Caixach, J., & Tauler, R. (2006). Chemometrics modelling of organic contaminants in fish and sediment river samples. Science of the Total Environment, 71, 223–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rachdawong, P., & Christensen, E. R. (1997). Determination of PCB sources by principal component method with nonnegative constraints. Environmental Science & Technology, 31, 2686–2691.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rappe, C. (1996). Sources and environmental concentrations of dioxins and related compounds. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 68(9), 1781–1789.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ruus, A., Berge, J., Bergstad, O., Knutsen, J., & Hylland, K. (2006). Disposition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in two Norwegian epibenthic marine food webs. Chemosphere, 62(11), 1856–1868.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakurai, T., Kim, J., Suzuki, N., & Nakanishi, J. (1996). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in sediment, soil, fish and shrimp from a Japanese freshwater lake area. Chemosphere, 33(10), 2007–2020.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sakurai, T., Kim, J., Suzuki, N., Matsuo, T., Li, D. Q., Yao, Y., et al. (2000). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in sediment, soil, fish, shellfish and crab samples from Tokyo Bay area, Japan. Chemosphere., 40, 627–640.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sinkkonen, S., & Paasivirta, J. (2000). Degradation half-life times of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs for environmental fate modeling. Chemosphere, 40(9–11), 943–949.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, E., & Bradfield, C. (2008). Immunology: T cells hang in the balance. Nature, 453, 46–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suarez, M., Rifai, H., Palachek, R., Dean, K., & Koenig, L. (2005). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in Houston Ship Channel tissue and sediment. Environmental Engineering Science, 22, 891–906.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2003). Exposure and human health reassessment of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds: Part III: integrated summary and risk characterization for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds. Washington: US EPA

  • US EPA (2009). Wastes—hazardous waste—test methods. SW-846 On-line. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/testmethods/sw846/online/index.htm#table

  • US EPA (2010). Persistent bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemical program. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/pbt/pubs/dioxins.htm

  • van den Berg, M., Birnbaum, L., Denison, M., De Vito, M., Farland, W., & Feeley, M. (2006). The 2005 World Health Organization reevaluation of human and mammalian toxic equivalency factors for dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Toxicological Sciences, 93(2), 223–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Linde, A., Hendricks, A. J., & Sijm, D. (2001). Estimating biotransformation rate constants of organic chemicals from modeled and measured elimination rates. Chemosphere, 44, 423–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weber, R., Gaus, C., Tysklind, M., Johnston, P., Forter, M., Hollert, H., et al. (2008). Dioxin- and POP-contaminated sites—contemporary and future relevance and challenges. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 15, 363–393.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wenning, R. J., Paustenbach, D. J., Harris, M. A., & Bedbury, H. (1993). Principal components analysis of potential sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran residues in surficial sediments from Newark Bay, New Jersey. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 24, 271–289.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wittich, R.-M. (1998). Degradation of dioxin-like compounds by microorganisms. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 49, 489–499.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ylitalo, G., Buzitis, J., & Krahn, M. (1999). Analysis of tissues of eight marine species from Atlantic and Pacific coasts for dioxin-like chlorobiphenyls (CBs) and total CBs. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 37, 205–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yunker, M. B., & Cretney, W. J. (2000). Bioavailability of chlorinated dibenzo-p -dioxins and dibenzofurans to dungeness crab (Cancer magister) at marine pulp mill sites in British Columbia, Canada. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, 19, 2997–3011.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yunker, M. B., Cretney, W. J., & Ikonomou, M. G. (2002). Assessment of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran trends in sediment and crab hepatopancreas from pump mill and harbor sites using multivariate- and index-based approaches. Environmental Science & Technology, 36(9), 1869–1878.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by US EPA Cooperative Agreement award X-9745502 and grant no. R04/CCR421909 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation at The University of West Florida. The contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors. Kristal Flanders managed the spatial databases for the project and drafted the maps. Alan Knowles, Jason Moore, Jeff Seebach, Tony DiGirolamo, Michael McAllister, Joseph Moss, Benjamin Finkes, Laura Penington, Anaduiska Rondon, Chris Carlton-Franco, Brandon Jarvis, Guy Allard, Danielle Peterson, Gustav Cancro, Brian Bradley, and Nicholas Balderston helped with the fieldwork and some laboratory procedures. The original manuscript benefited greatly from the comments by two anonymous reviewers.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Natalie K. Karouna-Renier

    Present address: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Studies, University of West Florida, 32514 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL, 32571, USA

    Johan Liebens

  2. Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, University of West Florida, 32514 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL, 32571, USA

    Carl J. Mohrherr, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Richard A. Snyder & K. Ranga Rao

Authors
  1. Johan Liebens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carl J. Mohrherr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Natalie K. Karouna-Renier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Richard A. Snyder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Ranga Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johan Liebens.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liebens, J., Mohrherr, C.J., Karouna-Renier, N.K. et al. Associations Between Dioxins/Furans and Dioxin-Like PCBs in Estuarine Sediment and Blue Crab. Water Air Soil Pollut 222, 403–419 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-011-0837-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-011-0837-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation