Accumulation of ¹⁴C Labeled Benzene and Related Compounds in the Rotifer Brachionus plicatilis from Seawater

Abstract

Rotifers were exposed to (1) a single dose of 14C labeled benzene on day 1 with initial concentrations of benzene at 0.1 and 1.0 μL/L declining over time and (2) a chronic exposure of 0.1 and 1.0 μL/L daily for 9 d. Both conditions resulted in rotifers accumulating 1000 to 10 000 times the 14C activity detected in the seawater. These concentrations were maintained in the rotifers for 8 and 11 d, respectively, and remained high even after exposure was terminated. Analysis of 14C activity from 14C labeled benzene detected in the water revealed its source to be phenolic compounds, compounds with a potentially higher toxicity than benzene. The water maintained a low level of 14C compounds throughout the experiments. Rotifers accumulated high quantities and retained most of the acquired 14C compounds after 2 d in clean water.Key words: benzene, rotifer, zooplankton, biomagnification

Ecotoxicological studies with the freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus

“…plicatilis . Using the same species the adverse effects of acrylamide on the neuromuscular activity were observed by Kleinow (1986) and Echeverria (1980) studied the bioaccumulation of benzene and related compounds in this species . A standardized 24 h LC 50 (mortality) test with B .…”

Influence of Dispersants on the Bioavailability of Naphthalene from the Water-Accommodated Fraction Crude Oil to the Golden-Brown Algae, Isochrysis galbana

“…Studies have shown marine and estuarine copepods (Harris et al 1977) and the rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis (Echeverria 1980), all primary consumers, efficiently accumulate petroleum hydrocarbons from chronic, low-level exposures. Although some studies have examined sublethal endpoints of exposure (Bratbak et al 1982;Harrison et al 1986;Morales-Loo and Goutx 1990;Burridge and Shir 1995), none have examined how dispersants alter the bioavailability of hydrocarbons in crude oil to primary levels of marine food chains.…”