Mysis relicta Assimilation of Hexachlorobiphenyl from Sediments

Assimilation and retention of a PCB congener, 2,4,5,2′,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP), by the oppossum shrimp, Mysis relicta, was followed during sediment ingestion and defecation using a 14C label. Uptake was rapid and essentially linear, with mysids reaching a [14C]HCBP specific activity equivalent to that in the labeled sediment within 2 wk. Assimilation efficiencies calculated from the relative depletion of the label in the fecal material averaged 53% (±7%). Sediment ingestion rates calculated from the activity required to supply the label retained were approximately 1 mg∙mysid−1∙d−1, in agreement with published estimates. The distribution of HCBP as a function of particle size indicates that particle-size selective feeding by detritivores can have a significant effect on calculated assimilation efficiencies. Given the vertical migration behavior of M. relicta, sediment ingestion is a potentially important pathway for the reintroduction of sediment-associated contaminants into the pelagic environment...