Bioconcentration of 5,5',6-trichlorobiphenyl and pentachlorophenol in the Midge, Chironomus riparius, as measured by a pharmacokinetic model

Midges were exposed to carbon-14 labelled 5,5',6-trichlorobiphenyl (TCB) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) at nominal concentrations of 2 and 9 ug per litre, respectively for a 16 h static uptake phase. Depuration was measured over 45 h in a flowthrough system. A 2 compartment pharmacokinetic model was developed to describe the uptake and elimination of both compounds. The uptake clearances were 330 ml per g midge.h for TCB and 55 ml per g midge.h for PCP. The measured bioconcentration factors were 35,900 and 458 for TCB and PCP, which were similar to values of 19, 055 and 758, respectively, obtained from the octanol water partition coefficients.