Bioconcentration of nonylphenol in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas)

Bioconcentration of p-nonylphenol (NP) by fathead minnows was determined under laboratory conditions. Fish were exposed continuously for 42 days to 0.33, 0.93 and 2.36 microg NP/l in a flow-through system. NP was Soxhlet extracted from whole fish homogenates with dichloromethane (DCM). The resulting extract was concentrated and bulk lipids removed by gel permeation and silica-gel chromatography. Compounds were identified and quantified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Mass spectrometry was used for verification of peak assignments. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) ranged from 245 to 380.