INFLUENCE OF DISPERSANTS ON THE BIOAVAILABILITY OF NAPHTHALENE FROM THE WATER-ACCOMMODATED FRACTION CRUDE-OIL TO THE GOLDEN-BROWN ALGAE, ISOCHRYSIS-GALBANA

The golden-brown algae Isochrysis galbana, a primary producer, was use d to determine the influence of the chemical dispersing agent, Corexit 9527(R), on the bioavailability of naphthalene. Cells were exposed to laboratory preparations of either the water-accommodated fraction (WA F) of Prudhoe Bay crude oil (PBCO) or a dispersed oil (DO) mixture of PBCO and Corexit 9527 spiked with [(UC)-C-14]naphthalene. Uptake was d etermined by the amount of algae-associated [C-14]. High-pressure liqu id chromatography ((HPLC) co-chromatography was used to fractionate an d identify metabolic products. A 24-h bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was calculated in the absence of steady state. The presence of Corexit 95 27, had significant influence (p = 0.001) on the uptake of naphthalene , but no significant effect on the 24-h BAF (BAF: 168 and 180 from WAF and DO, respectively), or metabolic fate of naphthalene in I. galbana . Results of this research indicate that dispersants have the potentia l to increase organismal exposure to certain petroleum hydrocarbons wi thout increasing their aqueous concentration.