Quantitative Biomonitoring in the Detroit River Using Elliptio complanata: Verification of Steady State Correction Factors and Temporal Trends of PCBs in Water Between 1998 and 2015

Quantitative biomonitoring methods were applied to determine PCB concentrations in water from the Detroit River over a 17 year period. During 2014, mussels were deployed for and extended duration (21–364 days) and time dependent PCB concentrations were fit to a bioaccumulation model to estimate elimination coefficients (k tot ) and provide site specific calibration of mussel toxicokinetics. The site specific calibration and different k tot versus K OW relationships from the literature were used to correct for steady state. ∑PCB concentrations in water were not significantly dependent on the k tot values used indicating that individual variation exceeds error contributed by steady state correction factors. The model was then applied to estimate ∑PCB concentrations in water using the long term (1998–2015) data. ∑PCBs concentrations in water exhibited a significant decreasing trend with a half life of 9.12 years resulting in a drop in yearly geometric mean residues from 198.1 to 43.6 pg/L.