THE ROLE OF FEEDING-BEHAVIOR IN BIOACCUMULATION OF ORGANIC-CHEMICALS IN BENTHIC ORGANISMS

Hydrophobic organic chemicals tend to sorb to suspended organic materi al and to accumulate in the sediments. Due to their strong affinity to sediment particles, the most probable bioaccumulation route to benthi c animals is through the ingested food. The feeding behaviour of benth ic organisms significantly affects the bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic chemicals. This behaviour includes processes Like food selecti on, manipulation, ingestion, digestion and assimilation. Especially se lective feeding and the ingestion rate of deposit feeders are involved in bioaccumulation. According to theories on foraging models, deposit feeders adjust their ingestion and digestion rates to a level where n et energy gain is highest. If the uptake of organic chemicals is depen dent on gut turnover time, the feeding behaviour of benthic animals sh ould be taken into account in bioaccumulation studies.