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Effects of Feeding Strategy, Sediment Characteristics, and Chemical Properties on Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Bioaccumulation from Marine Sediments in Two Invertebrates

  • Special Issue: Indicators of Ocean Pollution
  • Published:
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Abstract

Shellfish and sediment invertebrates have been widely used to assess pollution trends over space and time in coastal environments around the world. However, few studies have compared the bioaccumulation potential of different test species over a range of sediment-contaminant concentrations and profiles. The bioavailability of sediment-related contaminants was evaluated using sediments collected from sites (n = 12) throughout the Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Two benthic marine invertebrates—the Baltic clam Macoma balthica and the polychaete worm Neanthes arenaceodentata—were exposed for 28 days in a controlled environment to these field-collected coastal sediments. The congener-specific uptake of legacy polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and emergent polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was determined using high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in sediments and in invertebrates after the experimental exposure. The polychaete Neanthes accumulated lower concentrations of PCBs but higher concentrations of PBDEs. The present study indicates that differences in bioaccumulation between these two invertebrates shape the accumulation of PCB and PBDE congeners, reflect differences in feeding strategies, and reveal the physicochemical properties of the contaminants and sediment properties. Because biota–sediment accumulation factor values are often calculated for environmental monitoring or site-specific impact assessments, our results provide insight into potentially confounding factors and the need for caution when selecting indicator species for coastal marine pollution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Environment and Climate Change Canada Disposal at Sea Program (Suzanne Agius, Sean Standing, Kristie Trainor, Paul Mudroch, and Linda Porebski). The authors thank Charles Fort for expert support aboard the MV Walker Rock, and Dr. Steven Macdonald and Leo Van Kalsbeek of West Vancouver Laboratory for use of their rigid hull inflatable. The authors thank the staff of ALET and the staff of LEACA at Fisheries, Oceans & the Canadian Coast Guard. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance and insight of Carmen Morales on this manuscript. Financial support was provided through Environment Canada (Disposal at Sea Program), Fisheries, Oceans & the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, PO Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada

    H. Frouin & P. S. Ross

  2. Environment and Climate Change Canada, PO Box 23005, Moncton, NB, E1A3E9, Canada

    P. Jackman

  3. Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Institute of Ocean Sciences, PO Box 6000, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada

    N. D. Dangerfield

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  1. H. Frouin
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Correspondence to P. S. Ross.

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Frouin, H., Jackman, P., Dangerfield, N.D. et al. Effects of Feeding Strategy, Sediment Characteristics, and Chemical Properties on Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether Bioaccumulation from Marine Sediments in Two Invertebrates. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 73, 256–269 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-016-0361-x

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