Uptake efficiencies of PCB 153 in fathead minnows through food chain of sediment-midge-fish

Uptake efficiencies of PCB 153 in fathead minnow through food chain of sediment-midge-fish were evaluated. Contaminated fish food, the midge Chironomus plumosus was prepared by exposing to sediments with PCB 153. We could harvest the midges with body PCB 153 levels of ∼ 1.0 mg/g and ∼ 10.0 mg/g, respectively, in 2 wk of exposure. PCB 153 level in fish fed with midge of 10.0 mg/g PCB 153 (high-dose group) reached its highest at 11.2 mg/g after 30 d of exposure. However, PCB level in fish fed with midge of 1.0 mg/g PCB 153 (low-dose group) kept increasing following first order rate kinetics until the end of exposure (38 d). When the fish food was changed to the uncontaminated ones, the fish body PCB levels were stabilized in ∼ 3 wk. The uptake efficiency in high-dose fish group was 37%, whereas low-dose group was 55%. Uptake efficiencies in fathead minnows were notably lower than that of pike (∼ 70%). This finding suggests that the uptake efficiency of this PCB congener may depend on the amount of the PCB in diet.