Implications of short-term PCB uptake by small estuarine copepods (genus Acartia) from PCB-contaimined water, inorganic sediments and phytoplankton

PCB uptake by adult copepods of the genus Acartia exposed to ¹⁴C-labeled PCB-contaminated water, inorganic suspended sediments, and phytoplankton was determined. PCB uptake from water and inorganic particles followed an asymptotic function, with apparent equilibrium values reached after about 36 h. Copepods fed PCB-contaminated phytoplankton showed a substantial increase in PCB accumulation relative to unfed copepods, despite similar PCB concentrations in the water. Significantly greater mortality was observed among copepods fed contaminated phytoplankton than among copepods without phytoplankton. These experiments indicate that phytoplankton provide an important vehicle for PCB uptake at the herbivore trophic level.