BIOACCUMULATION OF ARSENIC, CHROMIUM AND LEAD IN FISH - CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY SEDIMENT GEOCHEMISTRY

Determining metal bioavailability is critical in assessing the necessi ty to remediate contaminated sediments. In the Halls Brook Holding Are a Pond (HBHAP) sapropel, As (3000 mg/kg), and Cr (1400 mg/ kg), are se questered by amorphous Fe(OH)(3) (Kd(As) = 560; Kf(Cr) = 59,000 1/kg), while Pb solubility is limited by PbS(am). Fillet As concentrations i n detritivorous and omnivorous fish were similar in the HBHAP (1.19 mg /kg), and the adjacent unimpacted Phillips Pond (1.18 mg/kg). Cr and P b in both HBHAP and Phillips Pond fish were below analytical detection limits, except for one (0.73 mg/kg Pb), in the HBHAP. The low sedimen t bioaccumulation factors for As, Cr, and Pb (6.5 x 10(-4), <1.1 x 10( -4), and 1.8 x 10(-6), respectively in HBHAP) suggest that the sedimen t acts to sequester metals, rendering them non-bioavailable due to pre cipitation of solids, and sorption to iron phases. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.