PCB COGENERS AND HEXACHLOROBENZENE BIOTA SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION FACTORS FOR MACOMA-NASUTA EXPOSED TO SEDIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT TOTAL ORGANIC-CARBON CONTENTS

Deposit-feeding marine clams (Macoma nasuta) were exposed for 119 d to three sediment types that varied in total organic carbon (TOC) from 0.8 to 2.5%. Sediments were spiked with equal concentrations of 13 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and hexachlorobenzene. Tissue residues were measured, and steady-state bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), the corresponding lipid, and TOC-normalized biota sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were determined. The BSAFs were less variable than were the BAFs with the exception of compounds with log K(ow) > 7. Many of the BSAFs exceeded 1.7, which is a calculated maximum value based on partitioning alone. Although BSAFs varied with sediment type and compound, the use of a BSAF of 4 as a screening level for neutral organic compounds in assessing dredge materials is supported by the present study.