Development and Verification of a Benthic/Pelagic Food Web Bioaccumulation Model for PCB Congeners in Western Lake Erie

A mathematical model is described that estimates chemical concentrations in phytoplankton, zooplankton, filter-feeding and detritovorous benthic invertebrates, and fish. Chemical concentrations are determined at steady-state using conventional chemical, biological, and environmental data. Concentration data for 31 PCB congeners in 14 different fish species, five benthic invertebrate species, water and sediment collected from western Lake Erie, and corresponding feeding preference data were used to verify the model. The results illustrate that 95% of the observed concentrations in filter-feeding benthic invertebrates, detritous feeding benthic invertebrates, and fish were within a factor of 1.8, 1.9, and 2.0 of the model-predicted concentrations, respectively. The ability of this model to predict contaminant transfer in a complex food web and its potential applicability to other food webs indicate that it could be an important tool for managing contaminants on an ecosystem level.