Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1995-08-01

Dietary uptake of superlipophilic compounds by earthworms (Eisenia andrei).

A Belfroid, J Meiling, H J Drenth, J Hermens, W Seinen, K van Gestel

Index: Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 31(3) , 185-91, (1995)

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Abstract

The uptake and elimination of three superlipophilic compounds (hexabromobenzene, PCB153, and octachloronaphthalene) after dietary uptake was studied in earthworms (Eisenia andrei). All three compounds were taken up from the food, although they did not significantly accumulate despite their hydrophobicity. Both uptake efficiencies (E) and biomagnification factors (BMF) were low. E varied between 0.70 and 7.5%, while BMF values were all below 0.17. The elimination of the compounds was slow, with elimination rate constants k2 varying between 0.04 and 0.09 day-1.