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Environmental fate & pathways

Bioaccumulation: aquatic / sediment

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Description of key information

Nakamoto and Hassler (1992) reported bioconcentration factors for the carcass and gonads of the sampled female fish. Values were 68.4 (37.6-98.8) and 6.4 (4.2-11.5), respectively. The BCF for the carcass of male fish was 74.4 (54.0-92.7).

Key value for chemical safety assessment

Additional information

Nakamoto and Hassler (1992) investigated whether elements (incl. barium) accumulated in bluegills (Lepomis macochirus) affected growth and fecundity. Ba-concentrations (filtered fraction) in water samples from the Merced river and Salt Slough were 34 μg/L (range: 27-44 μg/L) and 65 μg/L (range: 56-67 μg/L), respectively, and were measured by Argon ICP-AES (detection limit: 1 μg/L). For the male and female bluegills that were caught in the Merced River, the tissue concentration levels of Ba in carcasses were 12.9 μg/g dw (range: 9.4-16.1 μg/g dw) and 11.9 μg/g dw (range: 6.5-17.2 μg/g dw), respectively. The average internal concentration in the gonads of the bluegills from this area was more than one order of magnitude lower, i.e., 0.8 μg/g dw (range: 0.6-1.5 μg/g dw). Similar observations were made for the fish caught at Salt Slough. Carcass concentrations levels were 18.2 μg/g dw (range: 6.3-13.6 μg/g dw) and 7.0 μg/g dw (range: 5.7-9.4 μg/g dw) for male and female organisms, respectively. Here too, gonad levels were more than one order of magnitude lower (0.4 μg/g dw ; range: 0.2-0.7 μg/g dw). Reported bioconcentration factors for the carcass and gonads of the sampled female fish were 68.4 (37.6-98.8) and 6.4 (4.2-11.5), respectively. The BCF for the carcass of male fish was 74.4 (54.0-92.7). Comparable BCF-values for the carcass were determined for different other metals (Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, V); BCFs for these metals were less than a factor of 2 lower or higher than the Ba-BCF. For the gonads, however, the Ba-BCF was the lowest of all metals that were considered in this study.