Hexachlorobenzene uptake by fathead minnows and macroinvertebrates in recirculating sediment/water systems.

Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), the worm, Lumbriculus variegatus, and the amphipods Hyalella azteca and Gammarus lacustris were exposed to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in water with and without a bed of HCB-spiked sediment. Water HCB concentrations were maintained by recirculation through HCB-packed columns. Recirculating HCB-bound particulates and possibly eroded HCB particulates were an added source of HCB in addition to the sediment bed. Significant bioaccumulation of HCB in animal tissues was observed in water-only and water-sediment exposures. The presence of the HCB-spiked sediment did not result in a significant increase in the uptake of HCB by the organisms, but there was a substantial increase in sediment HCB levels over time. Higher tissue HCB levels in aquaria without sediment suggest that the sediment was a more efficient sink for HCB than the organisms.