Potential for Biomagnification of Contaminants within Marine and Freshwater Food Webs
Abstract
This report reviews the literature on the biomagnification of toxic heavy metals and organic contaminants within marine and freshwater food webs and is limited to gill-breathing species. The toxic metals included arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead mercury (both inorganic and methylmercury), nickel, selenium, silver, tin, and zinc. Organic contaminants included in the review were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), DDT (and its derivatives), dieldrin, endrin, kepone, mirex, atrazine, endosulfan, lindane, chlorinated phenols, chlorinated which appeared to have the potential to biomagnify in aquatic systems included methyl mercury, PCB, possibly kepone and mirex, and some PAH's, including benzo(A)pyrene and napthalenes. Based upon the information reviewed, it may be concluded that the biomagnification of comtaminants in marine and freshwater food webs is not a dramatic phenomenon. As the biological availability of contaminants from sediments have been dredged and placed in an open-water disposal site, it is unlikely that open-water disposal of contaminated dredged material will cause any widespread perturbations in marine or freshwater ecosystems. Existing data gaps were identified, and recommendations were made for guiding research efforts on the question of comtaminant biomagnification in aquatic food webs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA150747
Entities
People
- Stanford H. Kay