Bioaccumulation of trace metals in the amphipod Chaetogammarus marinus (Leach, 1815) from the Avon and Tamar estuaries (UK): comparison of two-compartment and hyperbolic toxicokinetic models

Bioaccumulation of Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Pb, Ni and Zn was investigated in the eulittoral gammaridean amphipod Chaetogammarus marinus (Leach, 1815) from the Avon and Tamar estuaries (UK). The main goals were to provide information on accumulation strategies of the organisms tested and to verify toxicokinetic models as a predictive tool. The organisms accumulated metals upon exposure and it was possible to estimate significant model parameters of two-compartment and hyperbolic models, with the exception of Zn. Both types of models yielded significant model estimates in two independent toxicokinetic studies using gammarids from the Avon and Tamar estuaries, respectively. Kinetic BCFs at theoretical equilibrium were 58–102 for Cd, 95–215 for Cr, 400–963 for Cu, 38–59 for Co, 150–750 for Pb and 33–63 for Ni, and were in most cases distinctly lower than the range reported in the literature for other amphipods. To demonstrate the potential of toxicokinetic models as a predictive tool, attempts were made, further to verify time-dependent model data (Tamar) with independent experimental data (Avon). In this case only for Cd were both in good agreement, whilst for all other elements the models overestimated the measured values. The second approach was to verify time-dependent model data (Tamar) with measured values from an independent concentration-dependent uptake study (Tamar) or, alternatively, to estimate the model parameters simultaneously for both studies. A good agreement between observed and predicted values was obtained for all elements for the simultaneous two-compartment models. Only for Cd was a simultaneous estimation of the hyperbolic model more promising. A tentative estimation showed the following sequence of sensitivity of C. marinus to an increase of soluble metal exposure: 0.6 μg Cd l−1, 1.7 μg Cr l−1, 16 μg Cu l−1, 3.5 μg Co l−1, 0.8 μg Pb l−1 and 7 μg Ni l−1. Available information can be used to quantify a measure of agreement or disagreement between bioaccumulation in different amphipods. This can be regarded as an important step in the calibration of biomonitors which is necessary to assess the potential for bioaccumulation on a large geographical scale.