Modeling of Bioaccumulation in Marine Benthic Invertebrates Using a Multispecies Experimental Approach

The causal links between species traits and bioaccumulation by marine invertebrates are poorly understood. We assessed these links by measuring and modelling polychlorinated biphenyl bioaccumulation by four marine benthic species. Uniformity of exposure was achieved by testing each species in the same aquarium, separated by enclosures, to ensure that the observed variability in bioaccumulation was due to species traits. The relative importance of chemical uptake from pore water or food (organic matter; OM) ingestion was manipulated by using artificial sediment with different OM contents. Biota sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) ranged from 5 to 318, in the order Nereis viren