Isolation and identification of a polar metabolite of tetrachlorobiphenyl from bile of rainbow trout exposed to14C-tetrachlorobiphenyl

The presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a wide variety of fish has been reported by VEITH and LEE (1971) and STALLING and MAYER (1972). Laboratory studies have demonstrated the uptake of dietary PCB by rainbow trout (LIEB, et al., 1974) and lake trout (SCHOETTGER, 1973), and aqueous PCB by goldfish (HATTULA and KARLOG, 1973), spot and pinfish (HANSEN, et al., 1971) and yellow perch and rainbow trout (MELANCON, 1974). Once absorbed by fish the PCBs do not appear to be readily eliminated. Although over 50% of the PCB accumulated by spot and pinfish during preexposume to 1 ppb PCB was released during 8 weeks following exposure (HANSEN, et al., 1971; HANSEN, eta!., 1974) this extent of PCB elimination is not typical of fresh water fish. HATTULA and KARLOG (1973) reported that goldfish released almost 80% of accumulated PCBs during a i0-week washout period, but the amount of fat tissue in these fish showed an unexpected comparable decrease such that PCB levels in fat tissue remained constant at about 3000 ppm. LIEB, et al. (1974) examined the elimination of previously accumulated dietary PCBs by rainbow trout utilizing a PCB-f-ree diet (16 weeks) or fast (8 weeks). As the trout receiving the PCB-free diet grew, the PCB level decreased, but the total amount of PCB per fish remained constant. The fasted fish lost weight and the PCB level increased but the total amount of PCB per fish remained constant. Another study of the elimination of previously accumulated dietary PCB was reported by SCHOETTGER (1973). In this case, lake trout showed slightly reduced PCB concentrations, but it was not reported if this was simply a growth effect.