DIETARY UPTAKE OF SUPERLIPOPHILIC COMPOUNDS BY EARTHWORMS (EISENIA-ANDREI)

The uptake and elimination of three superlipophilic compounds (hexabro mobenzene, PCB153, and octachloronaphthalene) after dietary uptake was studied in earthworms (Eisenia andrei). All three compounds were take n up from the food, although they did not significantly accumulate des pite their hydrophobicity. Both uptake efficiencies (E) and biomagnifi cation factors (BMF) were low. E varied between 0.70 and 7.5%, while B MF values were all below 0.17. The elimination of the compounds was sl ow, with elimination rate constants k(2) varying between 0.04 and 0.09 day(-1). (C) 1995 Academic Press, lnc.