Accumulation and Depuration of Organic Compounds by the American Oyster (Crassostrea virgina)

Oysters commonly used to assess the levels of enviromental contamination The purpose of this study: to evaluate the uptake and depuration of selected PCBs and PAHs in transplanted American oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Experimental design

250 oysters of similar dimensions were collected from uncontaminated Galveston Bay, Hanna Reef. Moved to Houston Ship Channel Composite samples of 20 transplanted and 15 indigenous oysters were collected for the 1st transplantation experiment Hanna Reef oysters were than back transplanted to original location

Results and discussion

The concentatrions of some organic contaminants increased dramatically during 7 week exposure period In 1st transplanted experiment, PAHs and PCbs were fairly constant in some individual The analyte concertations in native oysters represent the time integrated contaminant concentrations available to the oysters in solutions, adsorbed onto particles and incorporated with food

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons

The PAHs accumulated to the highest concentrations by transplantes oysters were: Pyrene > fluoranthene > chrysene > benzo[e]pyrene > benzo[b]antracene

Hanna Reef and Ship Channel oyster showed significant depuration (P < 0,05) of four- and five-ring PAHs after relocation to the Hanna Reef area At the end of depuration period, the total PAH concentration in contaminated oysters was about 40% than final concentration measured in originally uncontaminated oysters

Polychlorinated biphenyls

PCBs were the compounds accumulated to the highest concentration in transplanted and native oysters Showed significant depuration ( P < 0,05 ) of low molecular weight PCBs when relocated to the Hanna Reef area Originally uncontaminated oysters depurated PCBs at a faster rate than chronically contaminated oysters

 Oysters will react differently to sudden,increases in environmental concentrations of PAHs or PCBs as a consequence of,for example,accidental spills. The period of time needed for oysters to depurate the accumulated organic contaminants after the spill to accurately represent the actual contamination of a site will be different for PAHs and lower chlorined PCB congeners compared to higher molecular weight PCBs.

As a general conclusion,oysters can be useful tools in biomonitoring studies but result differ for different trace organic contaminants. Transplant studies place boundary conditions on the use of oysters as sentinel organisms. These experimental results can be used to better understand the PCB and PAH data in oyster samples collected from coastal U.S. areas during programs.

THANKS