UPTAKE AND ELIMINATION KINETICS OF TRIPHENYLTIN HYDROXIDE BY 2 FISH SPECIES

The uptake from water and the elimination of carbon-14 radiolabelled triphenyltin hydroxide ([14C]TPTH) was studied in two fish species: guppy (Poecilia reticulata) and rainbow trout larvae (Salmo gairdneri). During all the experiments no steady state in fish was found. TPTH was rapidly taken up, while elimination was very slow. Uptake and elimination rate constants [k1and k2, respectively), and a bioconcentration factor were estimated, assuming first order kinetics. During eight days of exposure of guppy to TPTH an uptake rate constant k1 of 70 ±7 L/kg.d and an elimination rate constant k2 of 0.005 ±0.029d-l was found. This resulted in a biconcentration factor of at least 2.1 x 103L/kg (wet weight). Comparable results were obtained during a 30 days exposure experiment with guppy: k, was 41+2L/kg.d, k20.014+ 0.002d-1and the bioconcentration factor was estimated to be 2.9 x 103 L/kg (wet weight). Four days exposure of rainbow trout larvae resulted in a k1of 22+ 2 L/kg.d, and a k2 of 0.031 ±0.007 d-l. Using these k1 and k2 values it was estimated that the biconcentration factor exceeds 650 L/kg (wet weight). © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.