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Improved estimates of PCB Bioaccumulation Factors for Algae and Zooplankton Using Passive Sampling
Hilda Fadaei1, Allen Place2, Upal Ghosh
1Jacobs Engineering, Inc. 301 Mission Blvd, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, United States.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|July 21, 2026
Summary
Accurate measurement of freely dissolved polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water improves bioaccumulation factor (BAF) predictions for higher chlorinated compounds. Vegetable oil better predicts algal partitioning than octanol-water partition constants.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Ecotoxicology
- Aquatic Toxicology
Background:
- Fish uptake of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) depends on dietary and gill exposure routes.
- Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) link PCB concentrations in organisms to water concentrations, crucial for food web modeling.
- Previous BAF-KOW correlations were limited for highly chlorinated PCBs due to inaccurate freely dissolved concentration estimations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that overestimation of freely dissolved concentrations impacted prior BAF-KOW correlations.
- To establish accurate BAF-KOW correlations for higher chlorinated PCBs using precise freely dissolved concentration measurements.
- To evaluate vegetable oil as a surrogate for algal partitioning compared to the octanol-water partition constant (KOW).
Main Methods:
- Laboratory mesocosm studies were conducted to measure PCB uptake in aquatic organisms.
- Passive sampling techniques were employed for accurate determination of freely dissolved PCB concentrations.
- Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were calculated and correlated with the octanol-water partition constant (KOW) and vegetable oil-water partition constant (Kveg-oil).
Main Results:
- A linear correlation between BAF and KOW was extended to higher chlorinated PCBs (log KOW > 6.5) when freely dissolved concentrations were accurately measured.
- For algae, the log BCF-log Kveg-oil relationship showed a slope closer to unity and a smaller intercept compared to the log BCF-log KOW relationship.
- Vegetable oil proved to be a more effective surrogate for predicting PCB partitioning into algae than KOW.
Conclusions:
- Accurate measurement of freely dissolved PCB concentrations is critical for reliable bioaccumulation predictions, especially for hydrophobic compounds.
- The findings refine parameters for food web models, enhancing their accuracy in predicting PCB dynamics in aquatic ecosystems.
- Vegetable oil-based partitioning offers improved accuracy for modeling PCB uptake in primary producers like algae.
