BIOACCUMULATION OF TOXICANTS IN THE ZEBRA MUSSEL, DREISSENA-POLYMORPHA, AT THE TIMES-BEACH-CONFINED-DISPOSAL-FACILITY, BUFFALO, NEW-YORK

This study consisted of a site characterization followed by biomonitor ing the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, at the Times Beach Confine d Disposal Facility (CDF), located in Buffalo, New York. Concentration s of selected contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), p olychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and metals - arsenic (As), chromium (C r), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se) and silver (Ag) - were at or below detection limits in the water colum n. Sediment contaminant concentrations, recorded as dry weight, were a s high as 549 mg/kg for total PAHs, 9 mg/kg for PCB Aroclor 1248 and 5 4, 99, 6, 355, 637 and 16 mg/kg for the metals As, Ba, Cd, CI, Pb and Hg, respectively. To predict contaminant bioavailability, elutriate an d whole sediment toxicity tests were performed utilizing the cladocera n, Daphnia magna. Whole sediment tests indicated significant impact. C ontrol survival was 84%, while sediment treatment had survival ranging from I to 7%. Mean control reproduction was 86.8 neonates, whereas tr eatment reproduction ranged from 1.4 to 9.0. Zebra mussels placed both in the water column (Upper) and at the sediment level (Lower) survive d the 34-day exposure. Contaminants that significantly accumulated in zebra mussel tissue (wet wt mg/kg) were total PAHs (6.58), fluoranthen e (1.23), pyrene (1.08), chrysene (0.98), benzo(a)anthracene (0.60), P CB Aroclor 1248 (1.64), As (0.97), Cr (2.87) and Ba (7.00). Accumulati on of these contaminants in zebra mussel tissue represent a potentiall y realistic hazard to organisms (i.e. fish and birds) that feed on the m. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.