The bioaccumulation of contaminants in tissues of fish exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons is of concern because of the toxicity associated with polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC). Exposure of Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) to several concentrations of Hibernia crude oil in sediments, for four months during the winter, resulted in a dose-response in the accumulation of hydrocarbons in muscle tissue and the elimination of metabolites (glucuronides and sulphates) through the gall bladder bile. Results of a multispectroscopic analysis using ultraviolet/fluorescence (uv/f) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (CC-MS) are presented. In muscle tissue: the monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were previously shown to predominate over alkylated PAC, while parental PAC were least detectable. Naphthalene and phenanthrene derivatives were more easily characterised as bile metabolites (GC-MS) than benzenoid derivatives which, according to uv/f analysis also represent a large fraction of the metabolites. The higher sensitivity of bile metabolites in determining exposure compared to free hydrocarbons in muscle tissue was confirmed in terms of the concentration of hydrocarbons in sediments.
