Biomagnification of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by Pleuronectes yokohamae: Does P. yokohamae accumulate dietary EDCs?

Abstract

We evaluated the potential for biomagnification of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP), bisphenol A (BP), and natural estrogens such asestrone(E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) in a benthic fish,Pleuronectes yokohamae.The assimilation efficiencies (AE) of most EDCs ranged from 88 to 96% suggesting that they were efficien tly in corporated and assimilated in to P.yokohamae, except for NP (50%). However, the biomagnification factor (BMF) values were<1.0sug-gesting that the compounds were not biomagnifying.Additionally, three of the target EDCs were not detected (BP,E1andE2). Glucuronidation activity towards BP (11.44±2.5nmol/mgprotein/min) and E2(12.41±3.2nmol/mg protein/min)was high in the intestine suggesting that EDCs were glucuronidated prior to excretionin to bile.Thus, we conclude that biomagnification of dietary EDC sisreducedin P. yoko-hamae because of effective glucuronidation